The chairman of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has berated the deployment of cash in elections, stressing that election is just not a enterprise enterprise however quite an utility to serve the folks.

This was because the electoral umpire boss listed the unfavourable position that cash performs in elections and electioneering.

Yakubu acknowledged these at a ‘Stakeholders’ summit on addressing the affect of cash within the 2023 normal election’ held in Abuja on Monday.

He mentioned cash politics made the emergence of the best candidates for elective positions “extraordinarily tough”.

He added that it undermines honest electoral adjudication and impacts negatively on the conduct of INEC officers, amongst different issues.

The INEC chair mentioned, “It (cash) renders the emergence of the best candidates for positions extraordinarily tough, undermines honest electoral adjudication, and destroys the skilled and unbiased conduct of INEC officers and different public businesses concerned in elections.

“Much more worrisome is the excessive prospect that prison cash could discover its approach into our elections by means of cash laundering. Above all, the pernicious use of cash tremendously will increase the chance of election violence as a consequence of a ‘win in any respect prices’ mentality amongst contestants, who would have invested a fortune in election.

“Certainly, election is just not a enterprise enterprise for revenue. As a substitute, it’s an utility to serve the folks with the understanding that they might want another person on one event. However then, there can be a possibility to reapply after 4 years. Residents’ selections mustn’t ever be subverted by the unfavourable use of cash.”

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