Former Labour Party presidential aspirant and founder of the Rescue Movement for New Nigeria, Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, also known as Fadojoe, has decried the state of Nigeria’s electoral process, following the by-elections held in 12 states last Saturday.
In a video message posted online, Fadojoe expressed disappointment over what he described as widespread vote-buying and voter apathy during the polls. With over 3.5 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots across 32 local government areas, Fadojoe believes the opportunity was squandered.
“My fellow Nigerians, I cry for my country,” he said, “We say we want change, yet we keep selling our future for ₦1,000, ₦2,000, ₦5,000.”
Fadojoe criticised both politicians and the electorate, accusing many voters of willingly trading their votes for cash. According to him, elected leaders no longer bother to win the hearts of the people through ideas or policies. Instead, they rely on distributing “bags of stolen money” on election day, fully aware that the system encourages voter manipulation.
“You collect money from them today, and tomorrow they use the same power you gave them to keep you in hardship,” he said.
Describing the situation as a national disgrace, the activist warned that no country can progress when the citizens themselves are complicit in corruption. He said voters who accept bribes have no moral grounds to complain about the very leaders they helped install.
