Activist and political commentator Aisha Yesufu has reacted strongly to allegations of widespread vote-buying during the Ekiti State governorship election, sarcastically suggesting that politicians should abandon campaigns altogether and simply bargain with voters on election day if the practice continues unchecked.
Yesufu made the remarks in a post on her social media platforms while responding to reports alleging that voters in the election admitted receiving cash inducements from political parties in exchange for their votes.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, some voters claimed they received N10,000 from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and N2,000 from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during the exercise.
Condemning the alleged practice, Yesufu lamented that politicians who comply with electoral laws are often disadvantaged, while those accused of vote-buying continue to emerge victorious at the polls.
“At this rate vote buying should be decriminalized in Nigeria. It does not make sense since it is those who are law abiding that gets punished for it! They do not do the vote buying and they are schemed out while others buy votes and waltz their way into office,” she wrote.
She also accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of failing to effectively tackle electoral corruption, stating that the agency’s “eagle is blindfolded during election.”
In a sarcastic swipe at the nation’s electoral culture, Yesufu added: “Instead of candidates wasting money on campaign let everyone wait for Election Day and bargain. The highest bidder wins and you save your money! This nonsense needs to stop!”
Her comments have sparked discussions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the persistence of vote-buying despite repeated warnings by electoral authorities and anti-graft agencies.
Neither the APC, ADC, nor the EFCC had officially responded to Yesufu’s remarks as of the time of filing this report.
