The lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Awaji Inombek-Abiante, has said that voter inducement would have little or no impact on electoral outcomes if citizens remain resolute in supporting candidates of their choice.
Inombek-Abiante made the remark during an interview on Friday on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“How do you stop vote buying? If the citizens decide to elect who they believe in, inducement or no inducement won’t matter much,” he stated.
The Rivers State House of Representatives member said his exposure to elections in some ECOWAS countries showed that many of the challenges faced in Nigeria were absent elsewhere.
“There is a deficit in the trust level; that is why somebody will go to vote, and another person will want to inflate figures at the polling unit.
“If somebody comes and gives you money or induces you with material things, you go and vote and you don’t believe in the ideology of that person; it’s just for that moment, and you will suffer the consequences for a very long time,” he said.
Speaking further, Inombek-Abiante stated, “As Nigerians, I think we should build our integrity to the point that we reject these things on our own, not because it is in any act or law.
“We should easily move to the point that whatever you offer will not be consequential to influence our decision in who we offer service.”
The lawmaker also stressed the need for stronger safeguards to ensure that candidates who enjoy popular support possess the right credentials and capacity to serve, rather than relying on financial power.
“If Nigerians appreciate this fact, they don’t need to accept any inducement on their own,” he added.
