Guber Poll: Stop Taking Advantage Of Voter's Vulnerability -Bishop Warns Politicians

Guber Poll: Stop taking advantage of voters' vulnerability - Bishop warns politicians 

Chinedum Treasure 

Anglican Bishop of Diocese of Ihiala, Anambra state, Rt Rev Israel Okoye has cautioned politicians against taking advantage of voters' vulnerability to exploit them during elections.

He warned them to desist from such acts or face the repercussions.

Speaking during his presidential charge at the third session of the fifth Synod of the Diocese, themed, "Fear Not", the Bishop lamented what he described as "use and dump" attitude of politicians with the desperate electorate.

He insisted that advancing state of poverty, unemployment, parochial chauvinism and frustration via the electoral process remained ill-wind that blows no good to anyone.

He however urged candidates of the November 8 gubernatorial election in the state to insist on issue-based electioneering campaigns as they shun hypocritical heroic songs. 

He said, "Preparations for the election of the governor of Anambra State on November 8, 2025 are on course. 

"In democracies, election periods provide electorate the opportunity to interact with prospective electoral candidates with a view to assessing their campaign manifesto. 

"It provides an enlightened basis for ascertaining the candidates that are better equipped to advance the course of development in the interest of the citizens.

"Unfortunately, it has been observed that the strategy of populating campaign venues with a rented crowd, preparatory to paying for their votes is rife. 

"Desperate politicians and their allies exploit the widespread unemployment and hunger in the land to turn vulnerable members of the electorate into political objects that are purchased, deployed for a defined purpose, and dispensed with after an election. 

"That inhuman practice, masqueraded as electioneering politics in the Nigerian political culture is, in fact, a deliberate dehumanization of vulnerable citizens.

"People who vote for candidates because they have been paid a paltry sum, sometimes as low as N2,000 or less have been turned into political toys. To such people, they do not sincerely care if their votes count or not.

"We urge all the electoral candidates to be issue-based in their electioneering campaigns. 

"All those singing hypocritical heroic songs in favour of individuals seeking electoral support do so at the expense of the wellbeing of the people on their palms subvert the future of the populace.

"It is an ill-wind advancing the state of poverty, unemployment, parochial chauvinism and frustration via the electoral process. 

"We, therefore, urge all the electoral candidates, their political allies, and those that have turned either their voters' cards or public offices into commodities for the highest bidder to be mindful of the repercussions of their debased actions. 

"No sensible person can afford to supervise his own liquidation. November 8 is the date for the choice of the tomorrow we yearn for in Anambra State.

"We have the option of going for the best at our disposal, based on our rational assessment, or we go for contraction with woes.

"God forbid that we shall allow whatever pittances that characterize electoral campaigns to rob us of a brighter future."