As Ondo State’s November 16 gubernatorial election approaches, Festus Ojewumi, Programme Manager at the Justice Development and Peace Makers’ Centre, Oshogbo, has called on the electorate to resist vote-buying and vote with their conscience.
Ojewumi, who also coordinates the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project to promote inclusive, participatory, and accountable democratic governance in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states, emphasized that vote-buying has become a menace eroding Nigeria’s democratic system.
While stating that JDPMC has deployed campaign finance trackers to monitor the campaign expenditures of selected political parties in Ondo State, he noted that the 2022 electoral law stipulates one billion naira as the maximum spending limit for any political party in a gubernatorial election.
Ojewumi stressed that the practice of vote-buying means “people are not actually voting in line with their conscience, and when the conscience is bought, the essence of democracy is defeated.”
He pointed out that politicians who buy votes often view public office as a personal investment, which he said “is what has been breeding corruption in our governance.”
“Whoever buys votes is spending a huge amount of money, and if that person emerges as the winner, they will inevitably look for ways to recoup their money, which breeds corruption in our governance. Political gladiators are spending excessively on campaigns, but they are spending even more on buying votes.”
Presenting a report by JDPMC, Ojewumi highlighted that previous elections in the state and recent ones in other states have shown that vote-buying has become a troubling indicator in the electoral system.
“We have figures that estimate the amount spent on vote-buying in the 2020 gubernatorial election in this state, and we are watching to see what transpires in the forthcoming 2024 election,” he said.
The JDPMC Programme Manager appealed to the Ondo electorate to turn out and vote in the November 16 election without any form of inducement, adding that vote-buying is akin to selling one’s rights and becoming enslaved to politicians.
“Nigerians have suffered enough, and the truth is, people should desist from selling their votes. When they sell their votes, they sell their rights and become slaves to politicians.”
Ojewumi urged the electorate to consider the long-term impact of selling their votes, saying, “The money they collect on election day will not solve their problems. The maximum period it might last is only for that day.”
He also called on security agencies, including ICPC, EFCC, and the Nigerian Police, to wake up to their responsibilities and ensure that vote traders are brought to book.
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