Tag: 2023Election

[Just In] Sad! Abuja PDP chairman dies on election day

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, Sunday Zaka has reportedly passed away.

According to media report, Zaka, who is popularly known as HIV, died at about 3 am on Saturday in a fatal accident while on his way to his residence in Kuje.

He died alongside his personal security after some party activities at the city center.

The family is yet to confirm the unfortunate incident but a chieftain of the party, Michael Kpatuba broke the news via a post on his Facebook page on Saturday morning.

“Dying Election day is really heartbroken to the FCT, PDP family.

“Rest in peace, Hon Zaka Sunday, FCT PDP Chairman”, the post read.

February 25, 2023
OPINION: INEC should account for 6.2m uncollected PVCs – By Dave Baro-Thomas

The enthusiasm that greeted the 2023 voters’ registration exercise affirms the quick rise in political consciousness and determination to oxygenate the nation’s nascent democracy. And recent development in the country seems to change the political architecture with an incredible rise of young people showing more concern about who should lead them.

Since 1999, voters registration has leapfrogged such that from 57 million registered voters, the figure rose to an unprecedented 84 million in 2019, out of which about 29 million people showed up at the polling booths, and Buhari won the contest with over 15 million votes against 11 million votes by Atiku, who came second leaving a clear victory margin of 4 million votes. As the typical politician will say, every vote counts but a 4 million vote margin is humongous. A few hours from now, about 87.2 million Nigerians who collected their PVCs for the 2023 elections will march out and decide the faith and direction the nation will go.

Incidentally, however INEC had reeled out this figure and stated that about 6.2 million people did not collect their PVCs for this election season, and they gave reasons which ranged from the very plausible to the sheer absurd

True to character, Nigerians waited until the last minute and came out like a mob to collect their PVCs, but this was within the window period given by INEC, and while such embarrassing national culture is unacceptable, the drama from INEC and its officials has left a sour taste in the mouth.

We are still trying to condone the CBN mess of a brilliant naira redesign policy jaundiced by shabby implementation. And here we are confronted with INEC managing an election with over 6.2 million disenfranchised people – a figure that is more than the decider of the outcome of previous elections.
While we should, undoubtedly, commend INEC for their claim of readiness for the elections, one will not be shocked to see the shame of poor logistics, incompetence, systemic failures, incoherent and untidy delivery of the entire processes that have taken them four years to prepare and forestall.

So, one continues to wonder if the public sector is bewitched or if public servants suddenly slipped into the disturbing mode of non-performance when it matters most.

The question under close scrutiny is: how come over 6.2 million registered voters ended up disenfranchised.
How could we condone such irresponsibility by INEC, considering all the drama that trailed the collection and management of PVC distribution across the country? Move away from the shenanigans of the political class who are hell-bent on compromising the processes through the flagrant act of vote buying, ballot box snatching, result writing, inducement of electoral officers, intimidation, violence, and what have you. Yet another big concern that’s added is the series of outcome of elections in Nigeria since 1959, is the shameful misadventures of this electoral umpire.

It is sad enough that Nigerians exhibited their bad character of waiting to the dieing minute and thus overwhelming INEC, but how can one explain that millions of PVCs were not at their presupposed, designated centres?

How in the world could some INEC officials turn the whole process into a Wuse Market activity, and to date, no one was arrested or prosecuted? How can one even explain the recent happenings where thousands of PVCs -sensitive material, are found at strange places outside INEC’s control? INEC should explain to Nigerians, outside the ballot papers and technologies to run the elections, what else is very critical to voting than the use of PVCs. But the electoral umpire prides itself that it is ready to deliver the 2023 election taking place today. It prides itself of having distributed about 80% of the PVCs and then scored itself very high, and undoubtedly that is a pass mark, but the question is, what happened to the remaining 20%? If out of the 80% you claimed to have distributed, and we heard that some were with foreigners caught by immigration the other day, while some were seen in sock away pits, and roadside gutters. Even INEC alleged obtaining information about the burial of some PVCs in some places, then what are we talking about.? There are cases where the PVCs of non-indigenes and people of other religious faith, depending on the locations, were deliberately not available. Then less than 48 hours before the elections, thousands of abandoned PVCs surfaced in Enugu and were carried by some good Samaritans to a radio station for onward transmission to the authorities.

So, INEC what is the pride about.? Who is responsible for managing the process of PVC distribution at the INEC headquarters and in the local governments? In whose custody are these PVCs kept? Who takes inventories of what was collected and signed off for what comes to the security vaults of INEC? How can thousands of PVCs go missing and remain outside INEC control, and nobody is alarmed? Nobody is asking questions.

When a similar thing happened sometime in July 2022, live on Channels TV, Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, assured Nigerians that these allegations will not be taken lightly. He said the Commission had commenced immediate investigation, and anyone found culpable in this diabolical scheme intended to disenfranchise Nigerians will be sanctioned under the law. He didn’t stop there but went on, “Every eligible Nigerian who registered as a voter is entitled to their PVC. The constitutional right to vote in any election must never be suppressed or abridged in any way” and “As far as the record of the Commission is concerned, PVCs have been printed for all valid registrants in Nigeria … and delivered to all the States of the Federation for collection by voters. We will not allow retrogressive elements to sabotage our efforts,”

But what we have today, sadly, is all cheap talk. Can we stress any less that bad governance starts way back from the electoral processes leading to the emergence of the wrong political leadership? If the electoral processes are flawed, can the outcome be any better? Therefore, it is pertinent to call Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his team to question after the elections, and the supervisory Ministry of INEC be courageous enough to ask INEC to present the over 6.2 million uncollected PVCs for scrutiny. INEC should recover every single uncollected PVC for forensic audit else the sanctity of the election is suspect already because Nigerians are asking: are all these anomalies deliberately orchestrated to jeopardize the chances of some candidates.

INEC should submit itself to an independent audit on the management and distribution of the PVCs in this political dispensation. Until we ask this supposed bastion institution some pertinent questions and hold it accountable, this democracy will remain infantile and a mere charade. However, there should be some constitutional reconfiguration of INEC.

Why should the President appoint the INEC boss at the federal level and governors at the state levels? In Nigeria, we know the implications of such even if we deceive ourselves with unrealistic fantasies to the moon and back, it will take a President without a stake in the process for INEC to be truly independent. The import of the election is upon us, so INEC should retrieve the over 6.2 million uncollected PVCs and deposit them with the Central Bank of Nigeria, or the next political dispensation should demand the investigation of the leadership of the Mahmud Yakubu-led INEC and commence the process of a total overhaul and restructuring.

Again, no democracy is ever better than the processes leading to its enthronement. This fact must be taken to heart.

February 25, 2023
2023 Election: Who will carry Buhari’s unpalatable burdens as next president?

In a few hours from now 87million registered Nigerian voters will decide the next president to carry Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari’s heavily indebted economy on his head for the next four years.

It’s one job that no Nigerian should envy as the task ahead the next president is not just a market of buying and selling but to change the change that will put a smile on the faces of very angry Nigerians.

The Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held today, Saturday, February 25, 2023.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the polls will not be postponed in spite of the general atmosphere of insecurity and uncertainty in parts of the country particularly in the South East and the terrorist infested north.

Tension had been mounting for several weeks following violent protests over the currency redesign policy and the resultant cash crunch. The controversial monetary policy had imposed an unprecedented hardship on Nigerians in different parts of the country.

The situation has been compounded by a spate of violent attacks targeted at political actors apparently by their political opponents. The climax was the gruesome murder of Oyibo Chukwu, the candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu East Senatorial District of Enugu State. Oyibo and five of his political associates were attacked, killed and their bodies set ablaze while they were returning from a campaign tour.

Yet, millions of Nigerians will brave the odds to exercise their franchise today traveling from different parts of the country to remote areas.

They will be choosing the next President and those who will represent them at the National Assembly for the next four years. As expected, a lot of emphasis is placed on the Presidency of Africa’s most populous country.

The presidential candidate of the eighteen registered political parties will be taking part in the all important contest. The presidential candidates in the race are: Accord Party (AP), Imumolen Christopher; Action Alliance (AA), Al Mustapha Hamza; African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore; African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kachikwu Dumebi; Action Democratic Party (ADP), Sani Yabagi; All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu ; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Umeadi Chukwudi and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ojei Princess Chichi, the only female in the race.

Others on the ballot include Action Peoples Party (APP), Nnadi Osita; Boot Party (BP), Adenuga Oluwafemi; Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso; National Rescue Movement (NRM), Osakwe Johnson; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Abiola Kolawole; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adebayo Adewole; Young Peoples Party (YPP), Ado-Ibrahim Abdulmalik and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Dan Nwanyanwu.

Out of this crowd, only four contestants are considered to be front runners. They are those who have demonstrated that they have the wherewithal and are likely to garner significant number of votes from the electorate. Those in this category include Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter of LP, Bola Tinubu of APC and Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, is a former Vice President of the Federal Republic, Abubakar is a wealthy businessman and experience politician who is believed to have a huge war chest to prosecute the election.
Abubakar is banking on his past experiences as the number two man during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007). However, the neo- liberal economic policies he championed in those eight years led to the privatisation of many public corporations, has devastating impacts on the economy.

In spite of this past records, Abubakar has promised to privatise more government businesses including the refineries. He has also promised to remove fuel subsidy if he gets to power.
Apart from experience, he appears to be banking on ethnic and religious sentiments being a Fulani and a Muslim from Adamawa State. He believes his kinsmen and fellow Muslins will go all out to support him with block votes from the North while he makes up the balance from the goodwill he had established among the people of the South. However, he will have to contend with the split in his party following the activities of the G5, a group of governors elected on the platform of the PDP but are opposed to his aspirations.

BOLA TINUBU
Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the APC, is a former Senator and former Governor of Lagos State. He is believed to have a huge financial war chest and a solid regional base in the South West geopolitical zone. However his campaigns were marred by the many unanswered questions about his origin, age, health status, educational background and stupendous wealth.
In addition, his promise to continue from where the current administration will stop has not been well received by many Nigerians who feel that the last eight years of the APC has brought nothing but hardship and misery.

Tinubu also has a baggage called Emilokan (It’s my Turn) and he parades himself as the next occupant of the Aso Rock to the anger of his detractors. All through the campaigns, Tinubu evaded all formal public debates for fear of close public scrutiny.
In spite of these flaws, Tinubu is banking on the presumed political indebtedness of President Muhammadu Buhari and the northern political elite to him. If he is granted access yo that political account, he may triumph over his opponents. However, there are fears that his political machine which is fueled by vote buying has become somewhat crippled with the ongoing cash swap policy.

PETER OBI /LP

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) is a former Governor of Anambra State and was the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019.
Obi is an enigma and a phenomenon who has built a new brand of politics that resonates with the younger generation of Nigerians.
Throughout the campaign season, Obi made himself available to both the local and foreign media to scrutinise him and his programmes. He cut the figure of one who understands the responsibility of the press to hold leaders accountable on behalf of the people in a democracy.
Nigerians, especially the youth population, are captivated by his testimonies of shunning long intimidating convoys and sirens, rejecting free plots of land and mouthwatering pensions and leaving behind a whooping N75billion worth of cash and investments for his successor.

But Obi is not the favourite of the establishment because of their deep seated fears that he might get there and turn the apple cart against them.

In spite of these obstacles, Obi has great prospects having demonstrated that it is possible to change a political culture and lead a people to their salvation. He could take the crown if the Nigerian people themselves are willing to be liberated from the shackles of mental, political and economic slavery. If he succeeds in this endeavour, it will be a new beginning for Nigeria that would signal the reawakening of the giant of Africa.

MUSA KWANKWASO

Kwankwaso, is a former Minister of State (Defence), a former Governor of Kano State and former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He leads a political movement called Kwankwasiya which is quite popular in Kano and other parts of the Northern region. However, his influence is limited and may not attract the required quantum of votes to trounce his opponents.
It will take a miracle for him to survive the scramble for votes by other competing forces even in his home state, Kano and the larger North West region.

CONCLUSION

The presidential race coming up today will be a tight one as these four front runners are experienced in the art of politics. Each has a fair chance but the victory will be dependent on a number of factors, some beyond the control of the individual contestants. The die is cast and the outcome will depend on the choice of the people and those who will count the votes.

Nigerians are not smiling, the sufferings are in multitude and this will be a major determinant in today’s election that may mostly run into a runoff. Nigerians should envisage this as the gladiators are not going to be pushovers.

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February 25, 2023
ICPC ‘accosts’ N2m being ferried to a politician in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has taken into custody one Hassan Ahmad in possession of the sum of two million naira cash in both old and new currencies amid the cash crunch being witnessed in the country.

The suspect was arrested on Friday by the Troops of 33 Artillery Brigade Operation Safe Conduct deployed in Alkaleri in Bauchi State and handed over to the Bauchi State Office of the anti-graft agency.

Ahmad was in possession of N900,000 cash in new naira notes and N1.1 million in old naira notes, and the funds were being conveyed in a tinted black Hilux vehicle with registration number JMA 85 AZ.

The funds, which were packed in a “Ghana Must Go” bag, comprised six bundles of one thousand naira new notes of N600,000; six bundles of five hundred naira new notes of N300,000, and old two hundred naira notes of N1.1 million.”

The suspect has confessed that the funds were being moved to Gombe State for a politician.

Further investigation by the Commission is ongoing.

Signed
Mrs. Azuka Ogugua
Spokesperson,
ICPC
24th February, 2023

February 24, 2023
Elections: FG advises Nigerians to install N-Alerts App

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has charged Nigerians to take advantage of the N-Alerts Smart Phone Application to report security emergencies during the National elections starting tomorrow.

The Minister called on all Nigerians to download and make use of the Application to report any situation or incident in and around their Polling Unit to the Ministry Inter-Agency Situation Room (MISR) for prompt response.

Ogbeni Aregbesola, while addressing Officers manning the Ministry Inter-Agency situation Room (MISR) in company of the Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore, directed that officers must be prompt in response to incident reported by Nigerians using the App.

“I know you have been trained for tomorrow ‘s assignment ensure that you respond promptly to all incident report generated during the election exercise tomorrow.

“We have been on the media space advertising to Nigerians to download the App and give us real time report of any incident, so ensure that you don’t disappoint Nigerians,” the Minister directed.

You will recall that the Federal Government developed and launched the Nigeria Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (N-Alerts) in May 2022 for Nigerians to send alert to all security agencies in the Ministry of Interior in real time.

The smart mobile Application is available for free on Android and IOS devices for Nigerians to download.

The App utilises a combination of audio-visual and geospatial location identification of the caller and scenes of incidents on the Ministry Inter-Agency Situation Room (MISR) and Command and Control Centres, Dashboards of the four Agencies under the Ministry of Interior Services and Police Headquarters for joint inter-agency operations.

February 24, 2023
Just In: EFCC confisticates N32.4m meant for vote-buying in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intercepted the sum of N32,400,000 alleged to be for vote buying in Lagos.

The recovery was made by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Commission. The anti-graft agency spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that the suspect involved had been taken into custody for further questioning

The Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has implored all operatives of the Commission deployed in the state for election monitoring duties to show courage and not give room for unscrupulous persons to undermine the integrity of the elections through financial inducement.

Tactical teams of operatives are on the ground in all the states of the federation and the FCT.

Telephone hotlines have already been circulated through social media for members of the public to share information regarding financial malpractices with agents of the Commission.

February 24, 2023
2023 Elections: Technology experts explain how Atiku, Okowa’s voices were cloned

In the run-up to the 2023 Nigerian Presidential elections tomorrow 25th Febuary, a new kind of political attack campaign has emerged, using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to clone the voices of political figures. The most recent example involves the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, whose voices has been cloned using A.I. technology in an attempt to discourage voters before tomorrow’s elections .

The viral voice recording, which purports to be Atiku Abubakar making comments about INEC, has been circulating on social media in Nigeria, causing a stir among the electorate. However, technology experts have now come forward to debunk the recording, pointing out irregularities that prove it is a fake, generated using sophisticated A.I. software that can mimic the sound and intonation of any human voice. They cited online services like www.respeecher.com and www.Resemble.ai which clone speech that are indistinguishable from the original speaker.

“Artificial intelligence is an incredible tool that has many useful applications, but it can also be used for nefarious purposes,” said Dr. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, a technology expert based in Lagos. “In this case, someone has used A.I. to clone Atiku Abubakar’s voice and create a recording that never actually happened. We need to be vigilant and aware of these kinds of techniques, especially in the political sphere. I also hope the law enforcement authorities are getting more sophisticated inn their investigations to hold those propagating these sort of dangerous activities”

Dr. Ekekwe went on to explain that A.I. voice cloning technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, and it is now possible to create convincing fake recordings that are almost indistinguishable from real ones. However, there are ways to detect fake recordings, such as analyzing the waveform and frequency of the voice, which can reveal anomalies that are characteristic of A.I. generated speech.

As the Nigerian Presidential election approaches, it is likely that we will see more instances of A.I.-generated voice cloning being used in political campaigns. However, with the help of technology experts like Dr. Ekekwe, it is possible to expose these fake recordings and prevent them from influencing the outcome of the election.

February 24, 2023
2023: Ex-Governor Uduaghan calls for credible, violence-free polls

Ex-Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has called on Nigerians, particularly Deltans, not to see the forthcoming elections beginning with this Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly polls as a “do or die affair”.

Uduaghan, who was governor of the oil-rich state between 2007-2015, noted that there was need for all political players to ensure that the elections were violence-free which represent the wishes of the electorate.

In a statement signed by the former governor on Thursday, he said it would be “evil and devilish” for anyone to resort to violence on account of the approach all-important elections in the country.

He stated that the country and Delta State had experienced enough violence in the past and called on all eligible voters to embrace peace before, during and after the polls.

February 23, 2023
OPINION: Atiku/Okowa Ticket as A Redemptive Act for Nigeria – By Dr Festus Goziem Okubor

Every nation no matter how great today has had its own share of challenges which were overcome at critical moments by redemptive acts. The 2023 general elections appear to be that moment for Nigeria’s own redemptive act. This is particularly so for the presidential election.

The three leading candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) in Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi respectively are men of political worth who have one way or the other impacted Nigeria in the recent past. However, at this critical turn in our history a dispassionate and critical analysis of the trio vis-à-vis the state of our nation becomes necessary for us to move forward.

As we negotiate Nigeria’s future let us avoid another fault start especially as woven around the candidacy of Peter Obi. So much hype has been built around him, but the truth is that any vote for him is a waste. He has raised the bar with his campaign, but that is where it ends as it will not translate into electoral advantage for him. Obi’s homeland which is the South-East is in turmoil and the people are not likely going to vote with their sit-at-home orders. Also Obi seems to be alone as no known political associate of his: commissioner, legislator or local council chairman, when he was governor of Anambra State is with him or speaking up for him right now. He has got some favourable mentions in opinion polls, but that is entirely a virtual engagement where less than five percent of the voters are active. The polls are therefore not a reflection of Nigeria’s electoral situation. The frightening reality is that every vote for Obi is a plus for APC’ s Bola Tinubu and that will be a fast way to destroy Nigeria.

Tinubu with his deteriorating health condition is a disaster waiting to happen. Tinubu is mentally unfit to run Nigeria. Also, the APC is a conspiracy that will ruin Nigeria. Our tragic experience since 2015 shows that the APC is “project hell”. The APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket is a one way ticket to the islamization of Nigeria not minding the nation’s secular destiny. Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima is a known Boko Haram patron in whose home as a sitting governor a wanted Boko Haram commander Kabiru Sokoto was found and arrested. Shettima’s role in the Chibok Girls episode is a sore point in our national life. With Tinubu’s imminent mental infirmity Shettima will take over government in case of a Tinubu presidency. Then Nigeria would be done in by a terrorist president. God forbid.
This is where the Atiku/Okowa ticket becomes Nigeria’s redemptive act. Atiku is an experienced administrator having served as vice president and a step away from the presidency. He is mentally and physically fit. He is a detribalized, liberal and Pan-Nigerian politician who has a vast network of goodwill and followership cutting across the nation’s 744 local government areas. He is a leader’s leader who understands Nigeria’s multi-ethnic temperament. Accusations have been thrown at Atiku and they remain mere accusations as he has never been convicted for any offence. His courage ensured that our democracy survived till this moment when he stopped Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda. The reason Obasanjo hates him so much. Atiku is campaigning on issues and has refrained from abusing opponents. His campaign document “my pact with Nigerians” remains a road map to the making of a new Nigeria. He is so far the only candidate who has engaged Nigeria the way it ought to be.
Atiku’s choices have been in the best interest of Nigeria. First is his choice of a running mate in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. Okowa is a hybrid phenomenon by being of South-South provenance and of South-East identity. His emergence will assuage and erase Igbo feeling of marginalization just as it will also consolidate the place of the South-South in Nigeria. The ticket is balanced in its Muslim/Christian character. Governor Okowa is one of the most astute, competent and articulate politicians of this generation. He like Atiku understands Nigeria’s development challenges and the duo will make the difference. Nigerians who are desirous of making our country great again should vote for the Atiku/Okowa ticket in the presidential election. This is the only way to redeem Nigeria.

February 23, 2023
Vote Buying: Nigerians urged to reject ‘Greek Gift’ from politicians

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Nigerians have been urged to resist selling votes to politicians, warning that electing the wrong candidates is dangerous to the nation’s democracy and will further shrink the civic space.

Vote buying has become a disturbing phenomenon in recent off-cycle elections in Nigeria and is now a major concern ahead of the general 2023 polls.

The Executive Director of Daily Trust Foundation, Dr Theophilus Abbah, issued the caution during PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, an anti-corruption radio programme produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja, asking electorates to reject the “Greek gift” by politicians.

While stressing the need for citizens to participate in the 2023 general elections, Abbah urged Nigerians to vote their conscience, noting that the outcome of the coming elections will shape what happens in the next four to eight years.

He urged electorates to jettison the idea of collecting money offered by politicians during the election and voting their conscience, warning that any politician paying to vote is making an “investment” and will seek to recoup the money spent.

“Nigerians are well aware that vote buying is not good for our democracy, anybody who gives money to get elected is actually making an investment, and if he wins the election, he will want to recoup that money as his salary is not enough to recoup that money.

“The president does not earn up to N2 million per month according to the official salary of the president. Imagine if he distributed 100 billion to get elected. You can imagine how long it will take him to recoup that money from his salary. It doesn’t happen. That means anybody who gives so much money definitely is going to use the resources we have, that should have been used to develop society and provide social services to replenish his coffers.

“And anyone who pays to get the vote, his conscience will not be pricked if he is stealing the money. He will say, after all, I paid to be elected.

“You cannot in all conscience vote for another person. Your conscience will tell you, and you have eaten from this man, you cannot go against him; you must fulfil your promise. So, it is not the right thing to do, even if your preferred candidate is not going to win an election, you should shun that momentary pleasure, advantage derived from the little money,” stressed.

Abbah decried the shrinking civic space in Nigeria owing to a spate of attacks on journalists and human rights activists by non-state actors and thugs working for politicians, cautioning that the development is impeding democracy.

“When you look at the issue of civic space, in a situation whereby journalists, right civil activists, and anti-corruption activists are not finding it convenient to operate effectively in the country, it is not good for democracy.

“if you vote for the wrong candidate in a sense that candidate who doesn’t respect the role of the media, who doesn’t respect the fact that the media are partners in the country’s democratic experiment, if you vote in leaders like that, it will affect the civic space,” He stated.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program used by PRIMORG to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

February 23, 2023