The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson, has warned that vote buying and the manipulation of results pose a threat to democracy in the country.
Speaking via a statement, Dickson lamented that the manipulation of election results has led to the emergence of leaders with nothing to offer.
He fumed that wealthy politicians use poverty as a tool to manipulate voters to get what they want.
The former Bayelsa governor urged stakeholders to take the bull by the horns and address the dangerous trend that undermines election outcomes.
The Senator added that vote buying and selling disenfranchise the people and undermine the integrity of the democratic process.
According to him, “It’s a dangerous development that leads to the emergence of unqualified leaders who have nothing to offer the country.”
Dickson condemned the “abuse of state institutions” during elections, including the preparation of fake results even before votes are cast.
He stressed that electoral authorities must strengthen safeguards at polling units rather than leaving the burden of justice to the courts, noting that in many cases, genuine instances of electoral fraud are dismissed on technical grounds.
He added that the practice emboldens perpetrators who know they can manipulate the process and get away with it.
The lawmaker further lamented that some individuals who could not even win elections in their own families or communities now claim victory through fraudulent means, leveraging state machinery and political influence.
Dickson said that as a member of the Senate, he is part of ongoing efforts to introduce stronger legislation to address these electoral anomalies, assuring that they must also recognise that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alone cannot control the conduct of security personnel and other government agents involved in elections.