Stakeholders have called on Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) and other mass-based groups to consider riding on the “We no dey pay shishi” momentum generated by one of the political parties to engage more with Nigerians before and after the 2023 elections.
The stakeholders made the recommendations in a communique at the just concluded Policy Dialogue organized by The Electoral Forum in Abuja.
The communique was signed by Chairman, the Electoral Forum, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, while Chairman and Panelists who are: Obo Effanga, Immediate past INEC REC Rivers State/ REC nominee, Professor Olatunde Babawale, Provost, Anti-corruption Academy and member of The Electoral Forum among others.
They said the most effective way to ensure that vote trading is reduced to the barest minimum is for political leaders to empower citizens economically and consequently imbue in them the freedom of choice.
They called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the proposed Electoral Offences Commission bill so that electoral offences can be dealt with decisively.
“The Constitution provides for political party accounts to be audited before and after elections. This presupposes that the party, and not the candidate, should fund election campaigns and other election-related activities. This way, monies are easily tracked and accounted for.
“There should be greater buy-ins from all stakeholders across the spectrum of society to ensure that vote trading is tackled decisively.
“There is an urgent need to make political offices less attractive to this category of politicians. Standards and knowledge should be the hallmarks of the political leadership and governance space,” they said.
