House of Representatives rejects proposal to criminalise vote-buying in party primaries

 

The House of Representatives has dismissed a proposal to make it a criminal offence to induce voters during party primaries.

Lawmakers voted against the measure on Thursday, December 18, during a clause-by-clause review of a report seeking amendments to the Electoral Act 2022.

The rejected provision sought to impose a two-year prison sentence, without the option of a fine, on anyone who offered financial or material incentives to delegates to influence the outcome of party primaries, congresses, or conventions.

Clause 89, subsection four of the amendment report stated: “A person that financially or materially induces a delegate for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the party primaries, congresses and conventions commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of two years without an option of fine.”

However, the presiding officer, Benjamin Kalu, called for a voice vote, and the proposal was unanimously rejected.

Vote-buying and inducement of delegates through cash or other incentives are common in Nigerian party primaries, largely due to the delegate-based system that concentrates significant power in the hands of a small number of party members.

While lawmakers rejected the clause on inducements, they approved stricter penalties for offences involving ballot papers and election materials.

Under the approved amendments, anyone who, without proper authority, prints a ballot paper or any item that could be used as a ballot paper or result form, prints more than the quantity authorised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), or possesses a ballot paper or result form without lawful justification during voting, commits an offence.

The law also stipulates severe punishments for anyone who manufactures, imports, possesses, supplies to election officials, or uses ballot boxes or devices that allow ballots or result forms to be secretly inserted, diverted, or tampered with.

Convicted offenders may face a maximum fine of ₦75 million, a prison term of at least 10 years, or both.