Gifts Distributed During Election Campaigns Are Not Bribes – INEC

Nigeria's electoral power-house, the Independent National Electoral Commission, has stated that there is no law that says politicians should not distribute gifts to electorates during political campaigns.





The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an interview with Punch said the constitutional basis needed to be established before gifts from political parties and politicians could be referred to as bribery.




Idowu said, "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?"





Jega's spokesperson explained that the provisions of the electoral law instead prohibit distribution of gifts on Election Day, within the vicinity of the polling unit.





"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 in," 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."