Professor Shuaibu AbdulRaheem, governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kwara, has called on the electorate to shun vote buying, saying “if anybody can buy you, they can also sell you”.
Mr AbdulRaheem made the appeal in an interview in Ilorin on Wednesday.
He explained that vote buying was a two way traffic; vote buyers and voter sellers, adding that none of them can be described as a patriot.
“Some politicians believe that the only way they can get to power is to corrupt people, by influencing them with illegal and indecent money.
“There is very little we can do about it. If there is a buyer, there must also be a seller.
“The only thing we can do is to appeal to our people, to know that, if anybody can buy you, they can also sell you. That is the natural law.
“If you sell your vote, you sell your future and you sell the future of your children,” he cautioned.
Mr AbdulRaheem, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, also advised that if anybody offers money or material things, people should appeal to their conscience and vote right.
“Vote your conscience, vote for the future of your children’s tomorrow,” he urged.
The governorship candidate said that vote buyers would not stop, though vote sellers could be discouraged from selling their votes, because knowing that they are selling the future of their children.
“If someone gives you N5,000 to cast one vote, he or she has taken your salary for the next five years.
“Whoever gives you that money will not be responsible for your welfare in the future, because you have already taken your own share.
“From whatever means he has secured his money, he will have to pay back, so you will not be his priority when he comes into government.”
Mr AbdulRaheem however said that the only way to change the present situation was to vote out bad government and vote in a party that has integrity and a good plan for the people.
“We have done it before and have never been found wanting for anything, vote NNPP and the state will be a better place,” he counselled the electorate.
(NAN)
