Ladipo Johnson, a spokesman for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the presidential campaign of the party’s flag bearer, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that paying party agents on election duty is not voter inducement.
He spoke Monday on The 2023 Verdict, Channels Television’s special election programme.
According to the NNPP chieftain, part of the money realised from the purchase of forms “will be used on logistics on election days either to get your people to the collation centre or what have you, to operate situation room, wifi, etc”.
Asked whether the NNPP would be paying party agents at the polling units in the February 25 and March 11 general elections, he said, “Paying agents at the polling units is almost normal now, in any country. For instance, in the United States, they pay their canvassers.”
Johnson said though there are party loyalists who would choose to do the job without any cash incentive, the situation in the country has “impoverished” the people in the last eight years that party agents won’t mind a “stipend” for being the eyes of the party at polling units.
“You have someone sitting there for God knows how many hours and you expect that person to come out with a result sheet, you expect that person to object to anything funny at the polling units, so, most times, you do pay them,” he said
