The Obidient Movement has raised alarm over the conduct of last Saturday’s by-elections, accusing politicians of turning the polls into a “cash-and-carry” affair that strips democracy of its true essence.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yanusa Tanko, the group said the brazen exchange of money for votes witnessed across constituencies was proof that Nigeria’s democracy is being steadily commercialized.
“Elections are not supposed to be an auction block for politicians who loot our national treasury,” Tanko said. “As long as citizens continue to sell their conscience, those who plunder our commonwealth will keep ruling without fear of reprimand.”
Quoting Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, Tanko likened vote buyers to “armed robbers and kidnappers,” arguing that they merely recycle stolen wealth to capture the state. He warned that voters who sell their ballots are complicit in mortgaging their own future: “When you sell your vote, you are selling the schools your children should attend, the hospitals that should treat your loved ones, and the roads that should connect your communities.”
The Obidient Movement urged Nigerians to rise above short-term inducements and defend the sanctity of the ballot, insisting that rejecting vote-buying is the only way to end the cycle of corruption and poverty.
“By trading our votes for peanuts, we are condemning the next generation to joblessness, hunger, and despair,” Tanko said. “A new Nigeria is only possible when we say no to electoral corruption.”