BY JOHN ODHE
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections, the political landscape is buzzing with alignments, strategy meetings, and the usual promises of a better future as being witnessed in the polity especially now that embargo on campaigns has been lifted.
However, beneath the surface of this democratic preparation lies a familiar, toxic undercurrent that threatens the very foundation of the nation’s sovereignty which is vote buying.
Historically, electoral malpractice in Nigeria was defined by the raw, physical violence of ballot-box snatching and armed thuggery.
Today, the old unhealthy strategy has shifted to cash distribution. With the introduction of technological safeguards like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), politicians have realised that it is safer and more effective to manipulate the voter rather than the machine.
What was once a discreet exchange of cash for ballots has degenerated into a brazen, institutionalized marketplace where the poor exchange their long-term future for immediate survival, sometimes with a basket of rice, N5,000 and a piece of wrapper. If left unchecked, this transactional politics will not only compromise the integrity of the 2027 polls but permanently disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate.
The danger of vote buying goes far beyond the immediate corruption of a single election cycle; it actively perpetuates a cycle of bad governance and systemic poverty.
When politicians are forced to spend billions of Naira to purchase their way into public office, they inevitably view governance not as a public service, but as a business venture that must yield returns.
Consequently, once elected, public funds meant for essential services such as health care, education, and infrastructure are diverted to replenish personal coffers and reimburse political godfathers.
The voter who accepted a temporary handout on election day is left to endure another four years of broken roads, deteriorated health sector, collapsing schools, and economic hardship.
Furthermore, this commercialization of the ballot completely erodes the power of accountability, which is the cornerstone of any true democracy. In a healthy democratic system, elections serve as a performance appraisal where non-performing leaders are voted out and competent leaders are retained. Vote buying completely dismantles this mechanism.
If a politician knows that they can ignore their constituency for four years and simply buy their way back into power during the final week of campaigns with about just ten percent of their total loot, they have absolutely no incentive to perform. This creates a dangerous precedent where competence, character, and manifestos matter less than the depth of a candidate’s pockets.
However, politicians must watch their back going into the 2027 election because many of them will be shocked. Many electorate have become wiser. They are ready to collect the cash and vote candidates of their choice. After all, the electoral system is open-secret ballot.
This new trend was conspicuous during the just concluded Osun State off cycle governorship election. After the polls, electorate were seen openly confessing how they collected cash from one candidate and voted another. This new twist is expected to be hugely replicated during the forthcoming general election due to increased awareness amongst the electorate.
More concretely, stopping this democratic menace of vote buying requires a shift away from reactive condemnation toward aggressive, technology-driven enforcement by regulatory bodies. I think a hundred percent electronic voting system can put a stop to the ugly situation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must collaborate closely with anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC to deploy covert operatives to polling units across the country.
More importantly, the secrecy of the ballot must be fiercely protected. By redesigning polling booths to ensure that voters cannot secretly photograph their marked ballots, the criminal syndicates will find it impossible to verify compliance, effectively breaking the “pay-on-delivery” mechanism that vote buyers rely on.
Simultaneously, legal frameworks must be strengthened to ensure that both the buyers and sellers of votes face swift, severe consequences.
Historically, low prosecution rates have created an atmosphere of impunity surrounding electoral financial crimes. Setting up specialized Electoral Offenses Tribunals before 2027 would streamline the prosecution of political actors, party agents, and compromised officials caught trading money for votes.
When high-profile politicians face significant prison sentences and disqualification from public office for electoral bribery, the risks associated with vote buying will finally outweigh the rewards.
Ultimately, the most enduring antidote to vote buying is the psychological emancipation and civic education of the Nigerian voter. Civil society organizations, religious institutions, and the media must launch sustained grassroots campaigns to reframe the narrative around election handouts.
Citizens must be made to understand that accepting cash or food items at the polls is equivalent to selling their constitutional right to demand accountability.
As the 2027 election approaches, Nigerians must collectively realize that the ultimate price of a bought vote is a stolen future and that real power belongs not to the politician with the deepest pockets, but to the citizen with the conscience to say no.
