Tobias Sylvester
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over increased incidences of vote buying in the country, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
During the public presentation and formal launch of his book ‘My Transition Hours’ on Tuesday in Abuja, Jonathan said that vote-buying is gradually replacing other forms of electoral malpractices, adding that it has become more scandalous and placed the country in bad light.
He pointed out that voters inducement through engraving of pictures of candidates and political party logos on gift items during elections was another rampant strategy of vote buying.
He advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to borrow a leaf from other African countries and create polling centers in public places such as schools where classrooms were used for voting to make it difficult for vote buying.
He explained that the book he launched was essentially an account of happenings during the 2015 general elections and the events that made him to place a phone call to President Muhammadu Buhari, which doused tension and ensured a peaceful transition from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Party (APC).
