Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, has called on Nigerians to resist what he described as “Kleptocractic politics” and vote for competent people to represent them.
Mr Sulaiman made the appeal on Saturday in Ilorin while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of his duty as an Election Observer.
He explained that Kleptocractic politics is when people are ruled by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.
He expressed dismay at the way people are defecting on the alter of big money, adding that money should never be a propeller for electorate to vote for any politician.
“We are seeing a situation where people who do not campaign, can use money to buy people’s vote. Money politics should never be allowed in this country,” he said.
Mr Suleiman warned Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as instrument of perfecting inadequacies, saying that the money used to buy votes are meant to build the society.
According to him, there are cases of voter apathy recorded in many parts of the state in the March 18 gubernatorial and state assembly elections, attributing the low turnout to the poor mood of the electorate.
He explained further that the number of registered voters does not reflect in the electorate that come out to vote.
“This kind of voter’ apathy does not translate well that Nigerians have spoken. Democracy must reflect the will of the people.
“There is therefore danger, if people lose hope in the process and think they are wasting their time in the electoral process as their vote will not count or are disappointed with the system,” he said.
NAN
