The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), on Thursday has registered its dismay at the massive amount of money channeled towards elections in Nigeria. ECES affirmed that such practise would, “Distort the essence of democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
The organisation also condemned vote-buying and selling among the candidates and electorates respectively.
Mr Rudolf Elbling, the project coordinator of ECES, who spoke in Enugu at the training workshop of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Election and Party Monitoring Department (EPM) staff on campaign finance, explained that “Excessive and improper deployment of money before, during and after elections distort the essence of democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people.
“It is my hope that deliberations and knowledge to be gained by participants at the workshop will strengthen INEC’s capacity to effectively monitor the activities of political parties. It will also enthrone healthy campaign finance practices and entrench internal democracy among the parties
“It will also enthrone healthy campaign finance practices and entrench internal democracy among the parties.
“It is also ECES’s expectation that the outcome of the workshop will provide feasible solutions to the emerging threat of vote-buying and selling which have been observed in the recent off-cycle governorship elections.”
Also, the Dr Emeka Ononamadu , the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Enugu State addressed the participants, and affirmed that,“We expect nothing less from you rather than doing a diligent job on monitoring these spending. We all are Nigerians, it is our country and people; so we have a responsibility to get it right and see that the right things are done.
“We should be part and parcel of building credible and fair elections, which will enshrine peace and development in the country.”