“The remaining point is the tense of the verbal term “doing” in Section 43(1) of the Eastern Region Local Government Law. Does it refer to the future? Does it mean “in order to do an act later”? It does. There are Paragraphs (g) and (h) in Subsection(1) of Section 51 of that Law to show that it does: they read- “51(1) Subject to Subsection (2), a person who-“(g) being a voter, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, before or during an election, receives, agrees, or contracts for any money, gift, loan or valuable consideration, office, place, or employment, for himself or for another person, for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting at that election. (h) after an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by another person, on his behalf, receives any money or valuable consideration on account of a person having voted, or refrained from voting, or having induced another person to vote or to refrain from voting, at that election.”

Per VAHE ROBERT BAIRAMIAN, JSC in MGBEMENE V. I.G.P. (1963) LCER-249(SC) (Pp 6 – 6 Paras A – F) #