INEC Preaches Against Vote Buying As Kogi, Bayelsa Elect New Governors

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the electorate not to sell their votes in the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.

The electoral body made the plea in a tweet on Saturday as residents of the two states go to their respective polling units to vote for the candidates of their choice.

Meanwhile, INEC has advised residents participating in the exercise on the procedures to take in orders to cast their votes.

Read procedures below:

Voting Procedure

Step 1 – On arrival at the Polling Unit, join the queue and when required, present yourself to the Queue controller who will determine whether you are at the correct polling unit.

If not, you will be directed to the appropriate polling unit. If satisfied, he/she will check if the photograph on the permanent voters card (PVC) matches your face before directing you to the Verification officer.

Step 2 – The Verification Officer will request for your PVC to verify that the card is genuine. If genuine, he/she will ask you to place your finger on the smart card Reader (SCR) to authenticate that the card belongs to you.

If card is not genuine or does not belong to you it will be confiscated and you will be handed over to the police.

Step 3 – After verification and authentication, you will proceed to the Register Clerk/statistics and linking officer who will check your PVC against your details in register of voters.

If your details correspond with that on the register, he/she will tick your name and apply indelible ink to your finger to show you have been accredited to vote and direct you to the presiding officer.

If your name is not on the register, you will not be allowed to vote and asked to leave the polling unit.

Step 4 – If accredited to vote, the presiding officer will stamp ,sign and endorse the date at the back of the ballot paper, roll it with the printed side inwards and give it to you.

You will then proceed to the voting cubicle to cast your vote in secret.

Step 5 – Inside the voting cubicle, you will stain any finger with the ink pad provided & mark the box for your preferred candidate in the ballot paper.

Thereafter, roll the marked ballot paper in the manner it was given to you and exit the voting cubicle, and

Step 6 – Drop the marked ballot paper in the ballot box in the full view of everyone and leave the polling unit.

If you so choose, you may wait at the appropriate distance from the polling unit in an orderly and peaceful manner to watch the process to conclusion with the declaration of results.