Following reports of massive vote buying in the last weekend Governorship Election in Ekiti State, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Orhionmwon/Uhumwonde Federal Constituency of Edo State, Chief Billy Osawaru, has called for an urgent legislative intervention and punitive measures against voting buying.
Osawaru expressed shock at the failed attempt by one of his opponents in the primary to play smart by using her name to replace his name even after he had won with a wide margin.
The United States of America trained entrepreneur insisted that beyond making laws to check vote buying, all hands must be on deck to ensure proper electoral reforms are put in place to protect our electoral system and process.
“The job of legislators is to make laws, move motions and sponsor bills. One of the first things I want to do when I get to the National Assembly is to bring about electoral reforms. How we fund our elections is very important. In developed climes there is a limit to which an individual can spend on elections even if the people are volunteering to support them financially.
“There are certain actions that must be condemned through policies and not paying lip service. Policies that come with sanction for offenders and some few people must be used as scapegoat and if that is done naturally people will desist from it.
“Laws are meant to be implemented. But when we don’t do that I can assure you that the Executive will just be Executive. They will tell you they are only implementing what they have in the books. The judiciary will only interpret and that is why some of us are interested in having good laws in the country and if you don’t have the enabling laws there is nothing you can do. I’m optimistic that when I get to the national assembly I have the convincing power to actually get some of my colleagues to do the right thing.”
Chief Osawaru said that the primary that made him the flagbearer of his party was free, fair and credible. He, however, frowned at the move to criminally replace his name.
“I was declared the winner. But I was shocked when information reached me that somebody was trying to change the result. Initially, I thought it was a joke until I got there before it was finally rectified that I am the right candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhumwonde Federal Constituency.”
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