The advent of electronic card reader in electoral process brings in another shape to politicking and electioneering in Nigeria. Politicians shifted from the traditional methods of mass votes , levelling of voters’ population, over-voting , ballot snatching and disruption of electoral processes.
The Electronic Card Reader seems to give more value to the voters than the traditional ways in the past . The focus on the electorates prone the processes to another gimmick in the hand of desperate dubious political office seekers . The attention on the electorates stirs what the shift in paradigm of our electoral process could not be credibly considered. The despicable state of the nation makes vote buying a good alternative for the bad political game players .
The level of poverty of the people is the major advantage for the execution of paltry option when all rigging plans failed . The 86.9 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty represents nearly 50% of its estimated 200 million population. In a country where 50% of the population live below $1.9 a day and 29.4% of Oyo State population of 7,840,900 (conservatively) lived at this extreme. What will be the expectation when vote buying comes to rear ? The people need money merely for feeding themselves and wards under their cares. where it comes from doesn’t really matters.
The predicaments makes apt liabilities towards anywhere money can come from . The extreme at which people live under the abject poverty subjected to them by corruption and incompetence of the leaders has derailed them the consciousness to make better judgement, right thinking and best way of exercising their civil right . Many don’t even know what a good judgment and yardstick could be while choosing the leaders and representatives . My neighbourhood in Oyo town will be down on poverty .
A good bait !
In my survey online and offline, I have gathered opinions of people , young people indeed, which their supports and votes are for candidates who can spend more money . The citizens show civility as many artfully confessed to take money and vote for their conscience. Many in my street of Oyo town submitted to vote for candidates who make the highest payment. In this survey, deduction was made on the level of literacy and enlightenment of the people .
Suchlike , reports showed that 65 million Nigerians are illiterates and Oyo State has 94.6% literate youths and 70.0% adults according to CIA report . I guess, it will be at the extreme here in reverse . The rate of literacy is also a point of concern and a predicament that can be taken as an advantage for vote buying . The number of people out there who do not know what the civil right means outnumbered the number of those who knew.
The preference and criteria for making choice of candidates are not consistently on competent discernment. Choices are made based on : rhetoric, loyalty, kindred, religion, party and how much buck can enter their pockets from such office seekers . Unlikely, these criteria can be surpassed by the vote buying because they are not firm on proper standard of exercising civil right in a progressive society. I can’t deny the fact of being a member of political party or loyal to a candidate but the proper way must not be neglected .
Orientation is also a major fact that needs to be taken serious to prevent vote-buying and selling . The orientation agencies, civil societies and religious body need to meet people to let them know the consequences of vote-buying as obstacle and obstruction to democracy. In my survey many who promised to vote for their conscience still admit to take money from politicians who come their way.
The need that people have to understand that taking money before voting incur years of negligence as the vote cast for politicians were being bought . They go miles to take loans to make the vote done and use the elected office to repay the debt from legal and illegal means, enjoy their years in offices and come again to spend for mandates again for new tenure . All developmental projects will be forsaken . A perfect consequential encouragement of corruption and embezzlement !
Consequently, the obstructed realities factored by the above factors alluring into what a politician uses against the people . Taking advantage of poverty , exploiting their illiteracy and cheating on their exposure. The legitimate way or advance vote buying are coming into vogue. Those who need can’t deny it and it’s another branded way of buying votes and loyalists . What to talk of an empowerment few months before election , launching soft loan scheme , organising seminars and workshops with daily payment , founding NGOs for distribution of basic needs in the name of a political office seeker and paying dues which have been due for years. Suspension of developmental projects till election period is an advance vote buying .
Letting the people to suffer and later succumb for re-election. This is act of cruelty!
Giving out chips to the common man and inciting them against the middle-class, civil servants and the elite class who knows what the real course is all about . This formed the bases of political apathy developed by some elites. This is pathetic indeed !
Living with my people at hollow side of Oyo town has given me enough chance to witness enough chucklesome miserable occurrences.
Funnily , I received a call from someone to draft a letter for particular set of boys requesting the visitation of a politician and stating there in the letter, the amount they need to be paid . I tried to enlighten them but the excuses wasn’t what they actually want . I insisted, but they wooed the politicians and he gave them the keepsake and his name lingers in the air . The following week followed by another politician .
This is the new tactics on ground in my neighbourhood .
I weep for mediocrity!
Alabi Yusuf Olatunji writes from Oyo
