INEC disagrees with Buhari over death for ballot box snatchers

By: Oliseama Okwuchukwu

The Independent National Electoral Commission has disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari over his order to security agents to kill ballot box snatchers during the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Buhari, who is the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress had at a meeting with the APC leaders, on Monday, said anyone who snatched ballot boxes would pay for it with his life, adding that he had given orders to security agents to be ruthless with such people.

He had said, “I am going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs, snatch ballot boxes or to disturb the voting system, he will do it at the expense of his own life.”

However, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, that the commission would stand by the Electoral Act which “states that persons who snatch election materials are liable to a prison term of two years or maximum fine of N500, 000.”

Responding to Buhari’s comment, the INEC chairman said, “The position of the commission is that all violators of the Electoral Act should be punished according to the provisions of the Electoral Act.”