Osun 2018: Voters Inducement Worrisome- Youth Group

Ahead Osun state governorship election slated for Sept. 22,  an election monitoring group, the Youth Initiative For Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA Africa) Wednesday decried growing trend of voter inducement in the state..

Briefing newsmen in Osogbo on its pre-election observation findings and election observation, the Project Director, Cynthia Mbamalu, said that the group in its pre-election findings  observed that voter inducement through the distribution of money and gifts was visible in the state.

She said there was urgent need for all electoral actors to intensify campaign to discourage the act of voter bribery before and during the election.

Mbamalu, however, said that political parties have the most role to play in curbing the trend of voter inducement and vote buying.

She also urged political parties and their candidates to act within the ambit of the law and also promote a positive political culture that would enhance peaceful election.

While urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Civil Society  Organisation (CSOs) to sustained voter education, Mbamalu urged National Orientation Agency (NOA)  to invest in voter education as part of its mandate

She also urged electorate who are yet to collect their permanent voter cards to enable them perform their civil duty on the day of the election.

Besides,  Mbamalu who said the group has a way of promoting electoral integrity noted that YIAGA had trained 60 trainers that would be deployed to all the 30 Local Government Areas in the state with the duty of training observers and 32 roving observers.