The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has said that it is not against the law for political candidates to give gifts to voters during campaigns.
He however said there were “grey areas” in the practice in a probable reference to moral concerns.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said to PUNCH, “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?
“It’s a grey area that is left simply for interpretation. If there is any law that is broken, then we will act on that. How can you tell that what they are doing has anything to do with electoral law?”
He explained that it was illegal to hand gifts to voters in the vicintiy of the polling booth on election day.
“That is clearly an electoral offence by which INEC can have the police arrest such a person. 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.
“We should also not underestimate voters, anyway. Voters are not stupid. Quite a number of voters know what they want. What the media should keep doing is to encourage them to vote from their conscience; vote on the basis of programmes, principles and policies, and not be bullied by any ties to gifts.”