By Wale Akinselure
With Nigeria’s elections a few days away, stakeholders have equated vote-selling to eligible voters selling not only their future but also their lives.
Stakeholders to include, a University of Ibadan lecturer, Professor Francis Egbokhare; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State, Mr Martins Kayode, stated this at a Town Hall meeting organised by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Pyrates Confraternity (Jolly Rogers Deck), for market women and men and community stakeholders at Bodija market, Ibadan, on Friday.
In their various remarks, the stakeholders held that the electorate who sells their votes devalues their life and loses all power to hold their elected representatives accountable.
Likening vote-selling to selling one’s life, Egbokhare, who was the lead speaker at the meeting, said those who sell their votes should question whether their life has a price.
He bemoaned greed, and ignorance of the power they have in their votes, stressing that people always had a chance at elections to make a point with their votes.
Speaking further, he urged the Nigerian electorate to shun voting along ethnic, and religious lines but vote people with capacity, competence to deliver people-oriented leadership.
Egbokhare said voters’ power had been strengthened by electoral reforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging electorates to vote only candidates they trust will deliver.
In his own contribution, chairman, Oyo NLC, Martins Kayode, echoed that the singular action taken on one election day had consequences that last a lifetime.
He described the forthcoming elections as more crucial than ever, owing to the need to have the right people in positions of leadership to correct the many ills bedeviling the nation.
Martins enjoined Nigerians to vote only those who love the masses.
He stressed that it was imperative to vote right especially without inducement, noting that such was the only way elected representatives can be accountable to those that truly elected them.
In his own input, a head of vigilante in Bodija axis, Isiaka Olajide urged parents to caution their children, wards against being used by politicians to cause violence during elections.
Noting the tendency for politics to take lives, Olajide chided parents for poor monitoring of their children, wards, leading to many of them behaving irresponsibly cum losing their lives.
Ahead of the elections, Olajide urged Nigerians to be security conscious.
While appreciating the sensitisation of its members, chairman of the Bodija Sawmillers Association, Mr Adewale Aderoju prayed for the emergence of selfless, people-centred, responsible leaders.
Leader, NAS, Pyrates Confraternity (Jolly Rogers Deck), Mr Olufemi Adesope said the association organised the town hall meeting in recognition of the need for the Nigerian electorates to shun vote selling and vote in accordance with their conscience.
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