The first signal which indicates that the 2023 general elections will go for the rich or wealthy class of the society is how the two dominant political parties fixed the cost of their nomination forms. The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, sold their presidential nomination forms for N100 million and N40 million, respectively.
Notwithstanding, the high cost of the forms neither deterred nor discouraged our politicians. Thousands of aspirants besieged the parties offices to obtain their forms. By the time the sale of forms was closed, the two political parties had raked up billions of naira.
Though, the increase in the cost of forms came at a wrong time when the country’s economy is comatose and had attracted misgivings by Nigerians across the divide, no none of the political parties saw the wisdom to reduce or make it affordable.
Regrettably, elections do not stop in the purchase of forms, political parties have to field their candidates through primaries.
During the primaries, aspirants have to meet the delegates and solicit their votes. In the past, it took aspirants little time and a token to convince or woe delegates.
There is no doubt that the 2023 general elections will be quite different from previous ones. The delegates, who sometimes vote aspirants with little money, conviction or based on recognition, have suddenly become kings. The just concluded party primaries have shown that only the money bag politicians can win.
Delegates, who are supposed to select competent and saleable candidates for their political parties have abandoned, this critical role. Instead, delegates now look for politicians who will give them more cash in exchange of their votes.
The struggle for who will clinch or get his/her party’s ticket in the just concluded National Assembly and gubernatorial primaries witnessed the splashing of naira and dollars on the delegates in many states of the federation.
Delegate in hot contest could get between N.5 million and N2 million or even higher. No wonder, former senator Shehu Sani, an aspirant for the PDP’s governorship ticket in Kaduna state, could only muster two votes at the end of the primaries.
But, the former senator must have shot himself in the foot righ from the beginning. Prior to the primaries, Shehu Sani boldly told the delegates that he does not have money to splash on them.
The excessive monetisation of Nigeria’s democracy does not augur well for the growth and development of the country. For someone to win an election in Nigeria, he needs to have financial war chest or muscle to purchase the exorbitant form, bribe delegates with naira and dollars and above all induce voters during elections.
With politicians spending huge resources before they can win an election, Nigerians should expect little democracy dividends from them. While the Electoral Act stipulates the required minimum campaign funds, it is silent on the political parties primaries finance where the highest bidder carries the day.
One of the implications of excessive monetisation of delegates system is the recruitment of incompetent candidates into the various leadership positions. The delegates always go for the highest bidder whether the candidate is competent or not.
The attempt to reform our electoral system by President Muhammadu Buhari, which would have allowed political parties to adopt direct primaries, met stiff opposition from those who felt the system will not favour them.
Nigerian conversation should centre on qualitative leadership recruitment and how the country can develop economically, socially and politically not excessive monetisation of our democracy.
The delegates should know or bear in mind that by collecting huge funds and electing incompetent candidates, they are mortgaging the future of ours and their children. Aspirants who bribe to win election will first recover their funds before considering their campaign promises.
There is the need, therefore, for government to regulate the cost of conducting party primaries by making the laws that will make it mandatory for direct primaries. Our cash and carry delegates are making Nigeria’s democracy expensive and beyond the reach of average Nigerians.
Ibrahim Mustapha,Pambegua, Kaduna state08169056963.
