Vote Buyers Recover Election Expenses Through Bad Governance -Don

Vote Buyers Recover Election Expenses Through Bad Governance - Don

From Seun Miracle 

A Professor of Public Administration, Jude Okafor, has warned that vote buying is undermining Nigeria’s democracy by creating a transactional relationship between politicians and voters, with elected officials often seeking to recover the money spent securing electoral victories.

Okafor, the immediate past Head of the Department of Political Science at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said the practice was one of the major factors weakening accountability and encouraging poor governance in the country.

Speaking on the relationship between leadership and followership, he said politicians who spend huge amounts of money to win elections could be tempted to view public office as an investment from which they must recoup their expenditure.

According to him, this creates a dangerous cycle in which elections become less about competence, integrity and public service and more about financial transactions.

He also warned that citizens who accept money in exchange for their votes lose some of their moral authority to hold elected officials accountable.

“Once you do that, they have settled you. So where is the conscience again that you will go and ask them, why did you do this? Why did you do that? When they have paid you off,” he said.

Okafor urged Nigerians to recognise their responsibility in determining the quality of leadership they receive, stressing that citizens could not continue to complain about poor governance while participating in practices that undermine democratic accountability.

He said the relationship between leaders and followers must change, with citizens becoming more conscious of the power of their votes and the consequences of exchanging them for immediate financial benefits.

The don argued that elections should provide an opportunity for voters to choose leaders based on competence, integrity, vision and commitment to public service rather than the amount of money distributed during campaigns.

He said Nigeria could not build a good society without sacrifice, stressing that citizens must be prepared to look beyond their immediate interests if they genuinely desire better governance.

“You cannot have a good society without sacrifice,” he said.

Okafor, however, cautioned that the responsibility for sacrifice should not be placed entirely on ordinary Nigerians, insisting that leaders must also demonstrate the same commitment to sacrifices they demand from the people.

He said responsible followership was as important as responsible leadership in the process of nation-building.

According to him, citizens have demonstrated at different times that they can influence government policies when they organise and demand accountability.

He cited the role of Nigerian students in resisting unpopular government policies, saying such actions showed that citizens could influence the direction of governance when they acted collectively.

The professor said Nigerians should therefore stop assuming that they were powerless in the face of government decisions, stressing that organised and responsible citizens could compel leaders to reconsider policies that were against the public interest.

He also urged citizens to understand the constitutional responsibilities of elected representatives, particularly legislators.

Okafor said lawmakers should not deceive constituents into believing that their primary responsibility was to personally execute development projects in their communities.

Rather, he said legislators should identify the needs of their constituents, articulate them through bills and motions, advocate their inclusion in government policies and budgets, and exercise oversight to ensure implementation.

He said citizens who understood these responsibilities would be better positioned to demand accountability from legislators instead of celebrating them for projects that are primarily the responsibility of the executive.

Okafor called for an attitudinal change among Nigerians, urging them to see elections as a means of determining the future of the country rather than an opportunity to secure short-term financial benefits.

He maintained that citizens must accept their share of responsibility for the quality of governance in the country through responsible voting, civic participation and sustained demand for accountability.

As Nigeria approaches another electoral cycle, the professor urged voters to reject the practice of selling their votes, warning that accepting money at the polls could ultimately contribute to the very poor governance they later complain about.

He said breaking the cycle of vote buying requires both political leaders and citizens to abandon transactional politics and embrace a democratic culture built on accountability, competence and service.