There was disagreement between the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Prof. Attahiru Jega and the representatives of the All Progressives Congress [APC] at yesterday interactive section of political stakeholders ahead of the Osun State Governorship election over snapping of ballot papers with camera phones.
Jega, who reacted promptly to the recent statement credited to the governorship candidate of APC, Rauf Aregbesola at his last Mega Rally in Osogbo that his supporters should go with a camera phones to their various polling units and snap their ballot papers after voting said such action would jeopardize the effort of the commission.
Jega, particularly said any attempt to snap ballot papers would be in violation of the Electoral Act.
The party believes that the action would be a proactive measure to checking any attempt to rig the election.
But Jega said , “To photograph the ballot paper will be a violation of the secrecy of the ballot. It is illegal and I will urge voters to disregard that directive.”
The Director General of the Aregbesola Campaign Organisation, Senator Sola Adeyeye, in his intervention at the meeting, rejected Jega’s explanations, saying a photograph of one’s ballot paper would not violate the secrecy of the ballot.
“For me, I will take a photograph of the ballot paper while casting my vote. It does not violate the secrecy of the ballot. I will like to show it to my grandchildren to see how I voted on the candidate. Voted for,” he said.
The Senator insisted that he is not afraid of being arrest after snapping the ballot paper because nothing will stop him from not doing it.
Responding to this, Jega cited Section 25(1,2,3,4) of the Electoral Act, noting that the sections forbid the act and violators risk a six month jail term if caught or N100,000 or both.
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