Money For Vote and Vote For Money Syndrome: As I See It.
Today, across thousands of polling booths and centres, voting took place or is taking place ( as at the time of writing this piece).
In my own center, accreditation and voting could not start until late in the afternoon; around 2pm. Personally, I voted at 05:15pm.
The incidents and happenings of today, led me into rethinking and asking critical questions on whether we, Nigerians, could ever get it right, especially when it comes to our electoral process.
"This people are yet to see something...they have made it a point if duty, 'eating' our money", she continued "...I swear, if they don't give me money, then I'll vote today". This was what a Lady, I suppose, in her late 30s said while she angrily vent her disappointment. I was alarmed!
Does it mean that this lady is yet to understand the electoral law? And if she does not understand the electoral law, what of commonsense? Their argument is hinged on the Igbo saying "nke onye riri ka obu", which literarily means "what one eats is the one he carries".
Money for vote is a Nigerian political practice of inducing voters to vote for them by giving them money before voting while vote for money is the practice of voting before collecting your money.
I was locked in a lengthy argument with a friend on the aptness of the money for vote or vote for money in our political space. My friend failed to understand where I was coming from, he saw it from the point of view that I was being 'holier than the Pope'.
My stand was simple: we have got to a time in our polity, where what determines who we vote for should not be the monetary inducements or the material inducements by the contestants, where we cannot and should nor turn ourselves into praise singers because we were given money, where I have to vote because I am convinced that the person I'm voting for will represent my interest very well!
I see those of us whose determinant of candidates to vote for in elections is the money as people who ',mortgage' their future on the altar of a 'Fadden'
My message here is simple, we have overgrown the practice, we have to learn to vote for persons aspiring for political offices on account of their credibility, competence, track record, manifesto etc. This I believe, is a better part to tow, a better choice towards he realization of the Nigerian project.
I believe in the Nigerian Project, no matter how long it takes to actualize it; it is better late than never!!!
Remember, the above is just as I 'see' it!
Today, across thousands of polling booths and centres, voting took place or is taking place ( as at the time of writing this piece).
In my own center, accreditation and voting could not start until late in the afternoon; around 2pm. Personally, I voted at 05:15pm.
The incidents and happenings of today, led me into rethinking and asking critical questions on whether we, Nigerians, could ever get it right, especially when it comes to our electoral process.
"This people are yet to see something...they have made it a point if duty, 'eating' our money", she continued "...I swear, if they don't give me money, then I'll vote today". This was what a Lady, I suppose, in her late 30s said while she angrily vent her disappointment. I was alarmed!
Does it mean that this lady is yet to understand the electoral law? And if she does not understand the electoral law, what of commonsense? Their argument is hinged on the Igbo saying "nke onye riri ka obu", which literarily means "what one eats is the one he carries".
Money for vote is a Nigerian political practice of inducing voters to vote for them by giving them money before voting while vote for money is the practice of voting before collecting your money.
I was locked in a lengthy argument with a friend on the aptness of the money for vote or vote for money in our political space. My friend failed to understand where I was coming from, he saw it from the point of view that I was being 'holier than the Pope'.
My stand was simple: we have got to a time in our polity, where what determines who we vote for should not be the monetary inducements or the material inducements by the contestants, where we cannot and should nor turn ourselves into praise singers because we were given money, where I have to vote because I am convinced that the person I'm voting for will represent my interest very well!
I see those of us whose determinant of candidates to vote for in elections is the money as people who ',mortgage' their future on the altar of a 'Fadden'
My message here is simple, we have overgrown the practice, we have to learn to vote for persons aspiring for political offices on account of their credibility, competence, track record, manifesto etc. This I believe, is a better part to tow, a better choice towards he realization of the Nigerian project.
I believe in the Nigerian Project, no matter how long it takes to actualize it; it is better late than never!!!
Remember, the above is just as I 'see' it!
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