A classic Nigerian election, another day, another round of shameless vote-buying, this time in Edo State’s September 21 governorship election. Despite all the grandstanding about democracy and security, it seems cash is still king at polling units. A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), under the banner of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), has called out the rampant voter inducement that took place in broad daylight at polling units.
In a statement that might as well be on repeat every election year, the Situation Room observers reported “widespread instances of blatant vote buying and selling” at various polling units. The report further notes that this flagrant electoral malpractice was happening despite the heavy presence of security personnel, who were apparently more interested in showing up than in doing their jobs.
Yunusa Z. Ya’u, Mimidoo Achakpa, and Franklin Oloniju, the co-signers of the statement, revealed that votes were going for the bargain price of ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 in polling units across Owan-East, Etsako-West, Egor, Oredo, and Owan-West Local Government Areas (LGAs). So much for the “Edo no be Lagos” slang, democracy is on sale, and if you act fast, you can even get some bread with your bribe! Because in some areas, voters were handed not just cash but food items, including bread, perhaps as a token of appreciation for selling their future.
Two alleged vote traders were reportedly arrested at George Idah Primary School in Oredo LGA. A minor win for justice, if you can call it that.
The Situation Room commended the peaceful conduct of voters, because apparently staying calm while watching your votes being traded like tomatoes at the market is something to applaud.
The Situation Room itself is a coalition of multiple Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), including heavy hitters like the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), among others. These groups tirelessly work to safeguard democracy, even as they watch it being undermined by the very citizens who should be defending it.
So, the question remains: Is democracy in Nigeria just a cash transaction now?
