2023: How Voters Violate Electoral Act

Finally, the 2023 Presidential election is underway, and the three major contenders have casted their votes just like some other Nigerians.

Meanwhile, many of the voters may not know they are violating a part of the Electoral Act, 2023 which may someday count. Some voters are already uploading pictures of their thumb-printed ballot papers on social media which is an infringement according to the Electoral Act, 2023.

Precisely Part VII that deals with Electoral Offences of the Electoral Act, 2022 states in a section:

122-(1) Every person in attendance at a polling unit including every officer charged with the conduct of an election and his or her assistants and every polling agent and candidate in attendance at a polling station or at the collation centre, as the case may be, shall maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of the voting.

(2) No person in attendance at a polling booth under this section shall, except for some purpose authorized by law, communicate to any person information as to the name or number on the register of any voter who has or has not voted at the place of voting.

(3) No person shall – (a) interfere with a voter casting his or her vote, or by any other means obtain or attempt to obtain in a polling unit, information as to the candidate for whom a voter in that place is about to vote for or has voted for ; or

(b) Communicate at any time to any other person information obtained in a polling unit as to the candidate to whom a voter is about to vote or has voted for.

(4) Any person acting contrary to the provisions of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of three months or both.

Earlier today, the top three contenders voted in their various polling units and the secrecy was not observed majorly as many supporters, camera men, associates thronged them.

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar was seen voting in Yola where he was said to have transferred his polling unit to and the crowd was massive pushing to reach him. This of course is not the picture we should have.

Also, the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who voted at Ikeja, Lagos not far from the Ikeja Mall had to walk in a crowd to the polling unit.

The crowd was massive and obviously many of them may not have been there to vote but to catch a glimpse and take photographs and videos. This is against the INEC rules as seen in the Electoral Act above, but these candidates do not have the rights to push back those thronging.

It is a decision moment, they must cast their votes. This is where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must think of enforcement of some of its rules as stated I the Electoral Act, 2022.

Nigeria has enough laws but enforcement is what is lacking and this should be addressed.

The atmosphere was more orderly in Agulu, Anambra State, where the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi casted his vote.

Of course the polling unit is few yards away from his home so he didn’t have to do a long walk in his own case. The polling unit was more organised and unlike his two other contestants, his unit had seats arranged and each voter went one after the other in an orderly manner.

In Kano, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was seen on the line just like other citizens and the election in his own unit was even more orderly. The secrecy rule was well observed unlike the three other units mentioned earlier.

This is of course a good example for other voters after seeing the incumbent governor on the line waiting for his turn, others must be orderly.

INEC should however look beyond making rules but look into enforcement. This is what can make voter education meaningful because it is not enough to have education if such knowledge acquired is not used.