Finally, the campaign for 2019 general election has commenced according to INEC electoral timetable. This provides opportunities to politicians of different political parties to reel out their promises to Nigerians. To say the least, these politicians promise God’s kingdom on earth when they seek for vote and after getting what they wants, they let you down as if you are no longer in existence. Well, the beauty of democracy is that somebody must be elected to represent the interest of others.

Democracy of course is based on the popularity principles upon which those that will represent others are elected. Citizens vote for the persons they like for whatever reason. However, when citizens vote for pecuniary gain they unknowingly undermine the tenet of democratic principle as well as become agents that devalue their own fundamental rights before the politicians.

It is in this context that the threat to our democracy is Nigerians who don’t understand that the grave danger facing 2019 general election is the newly introduced, “VOTE BUYING AND SELLING”. When Nigerian voters sale their vote or receive financial inducement to vote a candidate, they are unable to hold politicians accountable for their misrule or demands for good governance because the sanctity of ballot has been reduced and debased.

The vote buying is a wicked scheme designed by politicians to help mortgage the conscience of Nigerians. It is a pointer and signifier of how morally bankrupt and impoverished the Nigerian public is. It is a manipulative form of politics that completely negates the true principle of democracy and the fact that politicians are supposed to be a servant or serve the electorates but because they buy the votes, they are to recover their transaction.

However, rectifying this obnoxious form of politics in 2019 is for Nigerians to wholeheartedly resist the temptation of vote buying that has ingloriously devalued the voters as a result of short term financial gain.

•Eugene Onyeabo Aligbe, Public Affairs Analyst write from Lagos.

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