The Chief Imam of the University of Abuja and leader of the Da’wah Front of Nigeria, Prof. Taofiq AbdulAzeez, has described the outcome of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election as a “Nairalectoral victory,” expressing concern over the growing monetisation of elections in Nigeria.
AbdulAzeez, a Professor of Communication and Language Arts, said the huge sums allegedly deployed by politicians to secure electoral victories represented a dangerous diversion of resources that should be used for development and the welfare of citizens.
Reacting to claims by politicians about the amount spent by their respective camps during the election, the don questioned the rationale behind spending millions and, in some cases, billions of naira on elections in a country where many citizens are struggling with poverty, hunger and insecurity.
He said the situation had raised serious concerns about the financial burden being imposed on states and citizens by politicians desperate to win elections, warning that the practice could further weaken democratic institutions.
According to him, political leaders who expend public resources and personal fortunes on electoral contests risk leaving citizens poorer while concentrating attention on the pursuit of political power.
AbdulAzeez said, “The victory is a Nairalectoral victory,” alleging that governors and other political actors had practically emptied state treasuries in their pursuit of electoral victories.
He warned that the continued monetisation of elections could turn democracy into a tool for the “weaponisation of poverty,” whereby impoverished citizens are easily manipulated with money during elections.
The don urged Nigerians to become more concerned about the essence of democracy and demand greater accountability from political leaders, stressing that democracy should improve citizens’ welfare rather than deepen their hardship.
He also accused politicians of exploiting hunger and insecurity for political advantage, saying the consequences of the practice could be devastating to the country’s democratic development.
AbdulAzeez therefore called for the “deregulation of democracy” in Nigeria, saying there was an urgent need to reform the electoral and political system to reduce the influence of money and restore the people’s interests to the centre of democratic governance.
He stressed that unless Nigerians collectively challenged the monetisation of elections, the country risked building a political system in which access to money, rather than competence, accountability and public service, determined electoral success.
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