CSOs to Anambra voters: Don’t sell your vote — it’s worth more than N1m

Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative and Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD), civil society organisations (CSOs), have asked voters in Anambra state not to sell their vote.

In a statement on Friday, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, executive director, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative, and Obinna Nwagbara, chief executive officer (CEO), said many citizens do not realise the value of one vote.

They said anyone offering less than N1.4 million for a vote is shortchanging them.

“We call on voters to reject any temptation to sell their votes to mercantile politicians who understand politics strictly from the viewpoint of commerce where votes are bought and sold, where only the man with the deepest pocket, not the one with fine ideas and programmes, wins,” the statement read.

“It pains us to realise that many voters in the country today are yet to fully understand the value of one vote and how that one vote can impact their lives, for good or for ill. It must have become evident to everyone today that vote is life.

“As you go to the poll, we urge you to think about the minimum cost of your vote. Is your vote not capable of earning you employment if you elect a good leader or securing your job as a wage earner?

“What is the benefit of selling your vote at N5,000 or a little less or more to a candidate who eventually would deny you employment, treat payment of salaries as irritation and will not commit to the dividends of electoral democracy?

“To understand the significance of your vote, we use the value of minimum wage for four years which we would put modestly at N1.44 million. So if anyone is offering you less than this amount (N30,000 × 12 × 4) for a vote at the very minimum, then you are being heavily shortchanged.”

They said the voters should consider the development they could gain by not selling their vote and electing the right people.

“All of these would never be in the consideration of the man who paid his way to the office and you, and the society at large would be worse off in this mercantilist arrangement in a democracy,” the statement read.

“Our message to the voters therefore is to: shun all forms of vote trading tomorrow; go out on time to vote; perform your civic duties and stay vigilant. Do not allow anyone to deceive you. Your vote is your life and power, don’t sell it for any amount as doing so would amount to making yourself a slave to your conscience and greedy politicians in your fatherland.

“Lastly, we call on INEC, the political parties, security agents and all connected to tomorrow’s exercise to respect the electoral will of the people, play by the rules and avoid plunging the state into further chaos by seeking to manipulate the outcome of the poll.”