The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) on Thursday, condemned the excessive and improper deployment of money in elections in Nigeria.

The Project Coordinator, ECES, Mr Rudolf Elbling, made the condemnation in Enugu, at a workshop on campaign finance for the staff of Election and Party Monitoring Department (EPM) of INEC.

“Excessive and improper deployment of money before, during and after elections distorts the essence of democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people,’’ Elbling, said.

He said that the negative trend compromised the freedom of the people to exercise their choices in elections.
According to him, the manner in which political parties carry out their activities especially in the areas of campaign finance has implications for the transparency and integrity of the electoral system.

He said, “It is my hope that deliberations and knowledge to be gained by participants at the workshop will strengthen INEC’s capacity to effectively monitor the activities of political parties.”

“It will also enthrone healthy campaign finance practices and entrench internal democracy among the parties. It is also ECES’s expectations that the outcome of the workshop will provide feasible solutions to the emerging threat of vote buying and selling which have been observed in recent off-cycle governorship elections,’’

In an address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Enugu State, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, said that the trend had changed because INEC was now serious about monitoring election finances of candidates and their parties.

“We expect nothing less from you rather than doing a diligent job on monitoring these spending. We are all Nigerians; it is our country and people. So we have a responsibility to get it right and see that the right things are done.”

“We should be part and parcel of organising credible and fair elections which will ensure peace and development in the country,’’ Ononamadu said.

Over 100 members of INEC’s EPM staff from 17 states in the southern part of the country attended the workshop. (NAN)