As the Edo State governorship election kicked off, Deputy Inspector General of Police Frank Mba acknowledged that vote buying remains one of the hardest election offenses to prevent.
Speaking on Saturday, Mba revealed that those involved in vote buying often use discreet methods to avoid detection.
Mba, who was deployed to oversee the Edo election, explained that most vote buying activities occur inside private residences, making it challenging for security agents to intervene.
“The reason is simple: the bulk of vote buying and selling that takes place doesn’t take place in the glare of the public, in the glare of the media, or in the glare of the law enforcement agents. Sometimes, they take place in the bedrooms of citizens, and we don’t have the capacity to police every bedroom, every kitchen, every toilet, and every balcony,” he said during an interview on Channels TV.
He emphasized that law enforcement could only address the cases that happen in public, stating, “Our pledge is that the ones that happen in the glare of the public, the ones our security network is able to detect and intercept, we will deal with.”
Vote buying, a persistent issue in Nigerian elections, remains a significant electoral offense.
As the electorate cast their votes in the Edo governorship race, 17 candidates from various political parties are on the ballot, with the leading contenders being Asue Ighodalo (PDP), Monday Okpebholo (APC), and Olumide Apata (Labour Party).
Mba described the election as peaceful and praised the Benue State government for ensuring the fair distribution of election materials.
“All of us put together, are more than the criminals put together,” he added.
