The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned that money is increasingly influencing politics and that the country risks becoming a plutocracy for the wealthy rather than a democracy for the people.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, stated this at the Centre for Democracy and Development’s (CDD) one-day colloquium on “Emerging Issues that Will Shape the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria” on Wednesday in Abuja.
He also stated that INEC is collaborating with the EFCC to combat financial inducements in Nigeria’s electoral process.
According to Prof Yakubu, the conduct of the 2023 election will face three major challenges: insecurity, fake news, and money politics.
“The manner in which money is exchanged is a source of concern; yes, we have collaboration with the ICPC and the EFCC, and we only recently renewed our collaboration with the EFCC, saying that we will do something together.”
“However, there are two dimensions to it; when you have willing connectors, the situation becomes a little more difficult to contain.”
“On the one hand, you have brilliant examples; we all saw it on social media in Anambra when there was an attempt to bribe voters, and the women refused the money and voted their conscience,” he explained.
He went on to say that the antidote to fake news is more real news, as well as greater openness and transparency.
