Vote Buying: A Way To Promote Poverty In The Society (1) – By ‘Yanju Uwala

Vote buying in an election recently

There have been discussions and debates on both social platforms and in the public space, over the issue of giving money and other items to people, especially during election time, otherwise called vote-buying. Many have seen this as a modernised way of election rigging, even the electoral body has called it a crime under the electoral act. Even when, we see it a “sin” yet we still indulge in it. And why, do we still go to polling booths to vote for a political party with the highest bidder?

From all indications, even though it may not be one hundred percent correct, there are still some input of hunger, poverty, which made one to sell his or her vote for the purpose of getting something back, which maybe favourable for the time. It’s no longer story or a new tale that Nigeria is the headquarter of abject poverty ridden country in the world, followed by India.

Let me digress a bit, apologies, India and Nigeria seems to have something in common, we love their movies, we love the way they dress, even the way they play their relationship, some of our young people are now been influenced by it. Both countries were colonised by the British colonial masters but the only thing that seems not to work well with us is that, India rejected their language, religion, education but romanced their technology, while in Nigeria, we accepted their language, education, religion but rejected their technology. That’s one of the problems battling with us that makes us the number one country in the world with poverty.

Now back to our main discuss, our past and present government either at federal, state and local levels are not doing much to purge our the poverty and hunger level in the land, despite several organisations, platforms for eradication of poverty, the syndrome still live with us. But, hope it won’t marvel you, that poverty is one of the manifesto of each administration to suffer the people, towards making them to come and sell their votes during election period.

Come to think of it, even the educated one, I mean the literates amongst us also do their bidding, why won’t they? When you have mouths to feed, bills to pay, pay some debts, among others, even though the money maybe small, though at some levels, it is much higher than before. You just vote for the highest bidder and show them at a corner they are sited, and you will be adequately paid for your diligence, even though it is against your conscience, but whom that one help in time of hunger and frustration?

To be continued….

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