The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians against buying up voter's cards from the electorate in order to rig the governorship election in Anambra scheduled for November 16, 2013.
The warning was given by INEC's Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu on Thursday when he met the members of the state's council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The notice came as a response to the resent reports that politicians were mopping up voters' cards, ahead of the polls, and that some politicians had been ferrying people from Jos and Lagos, among other states, to come and register in Anambra during the seven-day continuous voter registration in the state.
Onukaogu maintained that it would be a waste of time and resources for the parties to think that bought voter's cards would be useful during the election because "The cards will not be used to vote."
He also cautioned the electorate, saying that "Selling your card means you will not vote and right now we are in court prosecuting 72 people for multiple registrations during the last voter registration exercise."
Onukaogu recalled that in 2011 election there were 840,000 multiple registration with Anambra State being the 'leader' with 93,000 multiple registers.
REC further disclosed that he has worked "on the mind sets of my workers, and they can't be compromised either and our salary is regular as well as all that we need for the governorship election."
Onukaogu assured that INEC would try their best to conduct a free and fair election in the state, ad highlighted the importance of the upcoming elections, saying "the whole world is watching to see a standard that will be set by INEC in Anambra State."
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