Former Governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has described electoral fraud as the “worst crime” in a democracy, warning that vote buying and the manipulation of election results undermine the will of the people.
Oshiomhole spoke on Monday during an interview on News Central’s Politics HQ while commenting on delays in Nigeria’s electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general election.
“My 2012 re-election in Edo State, I won in all the 18 local government areas. I did not give money to anybody,” he said.
According to him, he openly told voters at the time that he would not participate in vote buying.
“Instead, I told the voters, if my opponent, who allegedly had money to give you, you can collect it, no receipt, no refund. But I have no money to give you, but I will give you my all in terms of development,” Oshiomhole said.
The senator said the integrity of elections was central to the value of democracy.
“So, I think it is about people recognising that the worst crime you can commit is to cheat on elections, because the beauty of democracy is to have that inner feeling that, of the number of the people in your constituency, that out of over two hundred million people, you have been chosen by the state to apply their resources in a creative manner to deliver the greatest good to the greatest number,” he said.
Oshiomhole noted that existing electoral laws already provide clear sanctions against vote buying and the manipulation of results.
“On vote buying, there are penalties. We’ve made provision for it. There are penalties for a presiding officer who willfully acts in a manner that undermines the will of the electorate or twists or destroys the ballot sheet in a manner as to turn the outcome in favour of the loser,” he said.
He added that the punishment goes beyond fines.
“And the penalty is not only monetary, but also a penalty for jail,” Oshiomhole said.
He further stated that sanctions apply to all parties involved in electoral malpractice.
“On the side of INEC officials, there are penalties. On the side of the candidates, there are also penalties,” he added.
