Ahead of the 2023 general elections, national chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Alhaji Shehu Gabam has expressed fears over the role vote buying would play in the determination of the electioneering outcome.
Gabam who expressed optimism in the chances of his party at the polls accused some political elements of taking advantage of poverty in the land to induce voters particularly the youths to trade their Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, for money.
While insisting the SDP has made significant inroads across the length and breadth of Nigeria in the past few years, the national chairman called on well-meaning citizens to be on their guards to ensure that votes count at the end of the day.
He said: “In spite of the significant progress made in the off season elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states; our fears remain the shameful act of vote buying which we witnessed recently. I was close to tears when in Ekiti for instance, youths could be seen displaying monies they got from agreeing to vote for a particular candidate. They were jumping up in excitement. Of course, the cause of this is poverty.
“We have some youths in our fold called the SDP Youth Ambassadors. They are going about the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT to sensitize voters that selling their votes is the worst form of disservice they can do to themselves and their country.
“Those involved in dishing out monies to get votes will not condemn it because they believe this is the only way they can win. But Nigerians must rise up and put an end to this madness. Together, we can make the 2023 elections the best we have ever witnessed since the attainment of independence in 1960.”
Speaking on his recent tour of the six geo-political zones, the Makama Tilde noted that having tasted the “old order,” Nigerians are now prepared to vote in accordance with the dictates of their conscience.
“Nigerians are tired of broken and unfulfilled promises. They now know that unless they say no to these mediocrity that has been with us for long, we cannot make progress. Nigerians are frustrated across all spheres. The economy is in shambles and insecurity is a serious threat.
“These are the issues that the average voter would have at the back of his or her mind while making that steady walk to cast the ballot. We have no doubt that we will have a leadership we deserve in 2023 if the process is hitch-free, transparent and credible,” he added.
He further called on Nigerians to embrace SDP, saying in line with its inclusive ethos, the party offered free nomination forms to people with disabilities while women and youths enjoyed 50 per cent discount.