How “Money Bags” Destroy Nigeria’s Democracy

Related stories

Why I Renamed IBB’s Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu – Wike

By Kolawole Ojebisi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,...

My Soul Has Left PDP, Says Momodu

By Kolawole Ojebisi The publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu,...

Let’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

Fellow countrymen and women, let’s take a trip to...

Budget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneers

By Ugo Onuoha THE first thing that the legislative and...

Oil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This Year

Crude oil prices could decline below $50 a barrel this...

 

The Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement on Monday said Nigeria’s democracy was not delivering its dividends adequately due to “money bag politics’’.

A member of the group, Mr Hamzat Lawal, stated this to newsmen in Abuja at the National Day of Action on Youth Candidacy and Democratic Party Primaries briefing.

According to Lawal, it is quite sad that in Nigeria’s political history, money bags and `god father’ is really affecting the nation.

“This is why we have not enjoyed the dividends of democracy and good governance.

“As a movement, that is why we have now highlighted intended cost for picking nomination forms which is N2, 000, 000 for presidential aspirant, N1, 000, 000 for governorship aspirant and N600, 000 for senatorial aspirant.

“For House of Assembly aspirant, the form should be N200, 000 while that of House of Representatives aspirant should be N400, 000.

“We need to try as much as possible to ensure that election is not all about money because we know that to the money bags, election is an investment.”

Lawal said that the money bags often put money into campaigns so that they could recuperate it after election.

He said that Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement and youths were now aware of the money politics, adding that “we are working with women group to ensure that money does not play a critical role in 2019,” he said.

He said that this was because if money played a role, the money bags would want to recoup their investment post 2019 and it meant therefore, that Nigerians would not have quality welfare.

Lawal said that the group would monitor closely how money would exchange hands in 2019 and warned that if it did, the people involved would be exposed.

Ms Nana Nwachukwu, another member of the group, said that the movement was optimistic about competent young men and women emerging as aspirants for the 2019 elections.

Nwachukwu said that the signing into law of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill addressed a major impediment to youth participation in politics.

She said that while it was a remarkable feat, the goal of achieving increased youth representation in elective offices would remain a dream if other barriers were not removed.

She said that movement believed that the right to political participation was a constitutionally guaranteed right exercised through voting at elections or running for public office.

According to Nwachukwu, until Nigeria has independent candidacy, political parties remain the only platform to exercise this right to political participation.

She said that political parties were, therefore, essential to democracy but that the lack of internal party democracy and high cost of party nomination continually undermined the emergence of youth and women.

“We remain resolute in our belief that increased representation of young men and women and persons with disability in political office will enhance the quality of democracy and governance.

“So, Aug. 8, 2018 has been declared as the National Day of Action on Youth Candidacy and Democratic Party Primaries.

“We will be organising a march to the national and state offices of political parties to press the demands for youth inclusion.

“It is a demand march to political parties as they prepare to hold primary elections to select candidates for the 2019 general elections.

“The National Day of Action is scheduled to hold simultaneously in Abuja, as well as the 36 states across the country on the same date to press for guidelines in favour of youths,” she said.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Why I Renamed IBB's Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu - WikeMy Soul Has Left PDP, Says MomoduLet’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim UzoatuBudget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneersOil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This YearExclusive: Nigeria's $5 billion oil-backed loan from Aramco delayed by oil price drop, say sourcesTop APC Chieftain, Jesutega Onokpasa Dies at 49Sallah Break: Tinubu Finally Departs Lagos State For Abuja, Resumes WorkFalana Warns Wike: Your Ignorance of Diplomatic Rules 'll Cause Crisis for Nigeria Over Grant RentTrump’s Administration Reverses Self, Directs Embassies to Process Harvard Students VisasA New Dawn for Rivers StateKenya Plans to Launch Crude Oil Exports in 2026Maryam Abacha Drops Jabs At Gen Abdulsalami, Says Billions Stolen After Abacha’s DeathTinubu: Presidency Replies Peter Obi, Says He Is Blind To RealitiesHow Boko Haram Attacked Ex-COAS Buratai's Convoy, Escapes Death In Borno --- Reveals Ndume
X whatsapp