The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said gifts distributed to the electorate during political campaigns should not be termed as bribe.He said while distribution of gifts by political parties to people had “grey areas,” doing so could not incriminate the givers.The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an interview said a constitutional basis needed to be established before gifts from political parties and politicians could be referred to as bribery.Idowu said, “If they say people are giving gifts, how do we interpret that (as bribes)? What is INEC’s provision to act on that? They (the givers) may be telling a lie but if they say they are giving gifts for Ramadan, or if they say they are doing service support, what will INEC be able to do?Jega’s spokesperson explained that the provisions of the electoral law instead prohibit distribution of gifts on Election Day, within the vicinity of the polling unit but, outside that vicinity, if someone goes to another’s house to visit or to give him something, it is not an issue INEC can intervene on,” he said. So,what do you make of the above?As a Nigerian,how much would your choices in the 2015 elections be informed by gifts?Do you perceive that your political landscape in 2015 would offer any new surprises?
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 07:22:08 +0000
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