Buying of votes is not an issue we can address overnight because the culture has come and it is staying with us. It has become the ritual especially in the rural areas, suburbs and other places that are difficult for government officials and agencies to monitor. Some (politicians) give cash; some give materials.
We need to fight poverty. There is poverty everywhere. So, how do we fight poverty, which has been our bane, overnight? However, some people are not really poor but they are greedy. How do we also make somebody without the fear of God to have it overnight?
INEC and other government agencies cannot tackle the problem of buying votes alone. It is a question of time and good leadership. We need our leaders and political elite to lead exemplary lifestyles of not giving bribes. If money is not available to buy votes, people will vote according to their choice. Buying votes is bribery. For me, it is a tall dream to solve this overnight.
However, we have to be preaching against it. People should be able to choose their leaders based on their ability and capacity and not based on primordial factors like money. When leaders are elected, people no longer have access to them except in public functions or when they are passing by.
#Don'tSellYourVote