Beware of Moneybag Politicians, They Won't Help You After Winning- Activist Cautions Nigerians

Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Nigerians have been advised to shun away from voting politicians that are fun of buying their way into leadership position without having the interest of the country at heart.

An advocate for peace building and social justice in Jos, Plateau state, Mr. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa who stated this in an interview with our Corresspondent on Wednesday posited that Nigeria could have been better if monies spent on delegates during the last primary elections were injected into different sectors of the economy.

Mr. Ishaya insisted that if such monies were pushed into the economy, things couldn't have been bad as it is, currently. 

According to him, the money spent during primary elections is enough to revamp many sectors of the Nigerian economy.

"I am just looking at the antecedent that led to the emergence of different candidates, everybody knows that many of these people got their votes during the primaries because they were voted by delegates", he said.

Mr. Ishaya added that many of the politicians bought their way to becoming candidate of their various political parties.

"Do you think that a person who is buying his way into leadership will actually help this country, do you think that such person has Nigeria at heart? He asked.

The Activist noted that if such politicians actually have Nigeria at heart "why were they using money?

"The kind of money that was spent during the primaries, if those money were pushed into the economy, our economy wouldn't be this bad", he insisted.

The Activist who said, he was only been patriotic to ask such questions, noted he is not endorsing any candidate.

"I am asking questions that every Nigerian should be asking, and if Nigerians feel it's okay, let them go and vote, let us keep going, we will come to a standstill and there will be no way out apart from voting for credibility and competency over religious or ethnic consideration", he maintained.

Mr. Ishaya appealed to the youth and Nigerians in general to be resolute in voting any person who has the good name, integrity, capacity, competence and character.

"I think that is what is going to help us. Nigeria is at the brink, nearly every system in Nigeria is not functioning, it's obsolete", he said.

The Activist further said, "if you think security as a system, we don't have it, that's why our soldiers will be going for operation and they will be ambushed, who is giving them the information, who is leaking the information out", Mr. Ishaya inquired.

"Our educational system is not working, it's obsolete, the curriculum need to be revamped, we have deficit in infrastructure, the structures are obsolete, if you go to class you will see students sitting in windows to take Lectures, sometimes our universities shuts down for eight months, students are at home", he decried.

The activist who acknowledged that it wil not be an easy task for Nigerians who have been impoverished by the elites not to sell their votes, advised the voters to endure and do the needful.

"You know and I know, like I just alluded to it, the elites have weaponized poverty, they've weaponized religion, they have weaponized ethnicity and they are using it to shortchange Nigerian people", he noted.

Mr. Ishaya said as a result of the tactics, many Nigerians are very hungry such that, it will be difficult for them to resist money from politicians in exchange for votes 

"They know that when the masses get one thousand naira or two thousand they don't think anything because they don't know where the next one thousand naira is going to come out. One of our veteran politician, late Senator Nasiru Ibrahim Mantu said, "Yan Nigeria kamar Kaji suke, in siyasa ta zo, in ka watsa musu hatsi zasu makara ci har ka ci zabe", meaning that, "Nigerians are like chicken, such that when it is election period and you spread grains on the ground they will go after it and you will simply win your election", he said.

He lamented that when it is election period, the politicians starts distributing salt, maggi or detergents to the masses to get their votes.

"These things are ridiculous, but yet, it is an algorithm. From 1999 to date, the elites have created an algorithm in the minds of the masses and they know that when it is election year if you give them two thousand naira or five thousand you will see how they are going to respond", he said.