By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa has reacted to the recently concluded bye-elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that the age-old issue of vote buying and selling continues to cast a long shadow over Nigeria’s democratic process.
Dr. Tanko, who decried the practice in a statement released on his verified X handle, described it as a “cash-and-carry democracy” that threatens the nation’s future.
He expressed concern that many Nigerians still exchange their votes for money, expecting good governance in return.
According to him, elections have increasingly become open markets, where looted public funds are deployed to silence dissent and manipulate the will of the people.
“This shameful cycle must end,” Dr. Tanko said. “Elections are not supposed to be auction blocks for politicians who have looted the treasury. Until we say no to vote buying and selling and begin to demand accountability, those who plunder our commonwealth will continue to rule without fear of consequences.”
He echoed the sentiments of former presidential candidate Peter Obi, stating that those who buy votes are only investing in their access to the treasury. “They are no better than armed robbers or kidnappers, they just operate in suits and under legal cover,” Dr. Tanko asserted.
He warned that citizens who sell their votes are, in effect, selling off critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and roads; essentials that should serve their own families and communities.
“We are mortgaging the future of our children, leaving them with no jobs, hunger, and despair. If we keep trading our votes for peanuts, we may soon have no country to call our own, ” Tanko said
Precise Post recalls that the Obidient Movement, a political advocacy group aligned with the ideals of transparency and good governance, continues to push for electoral reforms and civic enlightenment across Nigeria.
