Effect Of Vote Buying In Nigeria

Politicians actually buy votes, but why is vote buying encouraged in the Nigerian political system? In this article, we will try to answer this question, and as a matter of importance, look also into the effects of vote buying in Nigeria.

One of the key reasons politicians buy votes is as a result of hunger for power. Vote buying is a demonstration of desperation to be in power.

The reasons politicians fight for power is because power means to have influence and also means to have control over other citizens. They believed through power, they can achieve fame and also achieve fortune.

Many voters believed that it is not wrong to accept money offers from politicians for votes. Others, however, consider this money giving from politicians as a trick to buy their votes, an even when accepting such money from politicians do no guarantee that they will necessarily vote for their candidatures.

Another reason is that the electorates saw this as an opportunity to get some money, that was once stolen by these politicians, and that, it is an opportunity to get the money back.

In the other way round, the electorates can accept the money offered to them by the politicians because they believed is their tax money.

Having said that, it is widely believed that the key reason for vote buying is poverty. Some of those individuals, who lived below the poverty level are usually unemployed persons.

These people are believed to accept this money from politicians because they are in need of it. For the Nigerians, who are poor, accepting money for their votes can simply mean that, they are going to stay at least for a week without hunger.

They will sell their votes because to them, dignity and pride mean nothing. Do dignity and pride mean anything for a hungry man? The answer is no.

Many believed see elections time as the only time to money from the government. They also have this belief thinking that it is their right of the candidates to offer them money and material gifts during an election for them to supporter the politicians.

Sometimes, why the people received money from politicians is because the electorates are threatened. In most of the times, materials that they offered the electorates come with threat making the electorates not to refuse the offers. That out of the way, let us now look at the effects of vote buying.

Politicians are offering to pay electorates for support during an election and they usually promised that, once they are elected into office, they will do everything for the electorates. However, there are some effects caused by this political transactions, and we are looking at them in this article.

When buying votes, it does not end there, it is never an isolated transaction, it goes as far as, perpetuating corruption in the entire system.

Once a politician chooses to pay electorates for support, instead of for the electorates to compete fairly while voting, they will by their attitudes show a disregard for democratic principles and will be ready to willingly use any illegal means.

If buying off electorates to vote for them was successful what do you think will stop the politicians from using the same means, while governing.

Frankly speaking, vote buying do in essence, obstructs the very democratic processes by way of interfering with the rights of the electorates to freely decide on who to vote for or who they think will have their interest at heart and represent them creditably.

The result of this practice, where the candidate with so much money wins an election, instead of the candidate who would have best represent the people is unfortunate.

It is a known fact that elections create a social contract between elected office Holder and people who voted him into office with the belief that he will represent them in accordance with his electioneering campaign promises.

Vote buying during an election will definitely needs poor governance. While enabling poor governance, it will also undercut the ability of the electorates to holding their elected officeholders accountable for their actions.

For instance if all a candidate thinks and believes is to be elected into office, while has pays off voters and other government officials, who helped him win election, why do you think there will be any incentive for the people to be responsive to issues of their welfare, such as water, including sanitation, and education plus unemployment.

Apart from damaging a candidate’s credibility for standing for an election, vote buying also can deter political leader, who aspires for an office from running for such an exalted office.

There is a reason to this, why? It is because the suggestion is that money, instead of ideas or experience and expertise is what makes one wins an election.

Such practices can discourage qualified and credible individuals from running for offices. The practice also entrenches corrupt politicians in their positions.

In Nigeria where vote buying is very common, what politicians do is to mobilize so much of their resources in order to buy votes and win an election with debts accruing from their campaign expenses.

In line with international standards, when it comes to democracy, everyone has equal rights. For instance, in a true democracy the world over, every citizen of a nation is entitled run for an office or he has the legal right to stand for any election, provided there are no reasonable restrictions.

But where there is vote buying, that alone can make it impossible to meeting this requirement, because such practice is likely to penalize potential candidates from running for offices, especially, when these individuals are at an economic disadvantage, that is, persons, who do not have so much money to buy votes and win election.

Many voters believed that it is not wrong to accept money offers from politicians for votes. Others, however, consider this money giving from politicians as a trick to buy their votes, an even when accepting such money from politicians do no guarantee that they will necessarily vote for their candidatures.

Another reason is that the electorates saw this as an opportunity to get some money, that was once stolen by these politicians, and that, it is an opportunity to get the money back. Whatever the case may be, vote buying effects have been discussed above.