Cash rules everything around me
Ondo people were allegedly selling their votes for ₦5,000
Happy New Week, Big Brains. I hope your meetings end early today and you get free lunch at work. Have the best day!
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Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend:
Ondo election victory might have gone to the highest bidder
The kids are not alright
The Big Deal
Ondo election victory might have gone to the highest bidder
Your faves in Ondo state were busy this weekend, allegedly of course. According to reports, vote buying was the highlight of the Ondo State Governorship Election on Saturday, November 16. The two major political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – allegedly turned polling units into mini cash centres, handing out between ₦5,000 and ₦20,000 to voters.
In Akure, the state capital, things got messy at Ward 02, Polling Unit 3, Eruoba, and Polling Unit 17, Egbedi Ward 1. At one polling unit, a man believed to be working for the APC was spotted handing out cash to secure votes. In another polling unit, voters wrote down their names and were directed to a nearby building for their “reward” after voting.
It didn’t end there. In Owo, the APC allegedly convinced voters with money right in front of police and security agents. In Oke-Agbo, Akoko North-West, the competition appeared to be tighter, so the APC reportedly increased the bribe to ₦20,000 per voter, while the PDP offered ₦15,000.
APC candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was declared the winner of the election on Sunday, November 17.
Why is this a big deal?
The vote-buying case in the Ondo State Governorship Election isn’t the first of its kind. In September, we mentioned how some people in Edo state sold their votes for loaves of bread. You can laugh at how ridiculous that sounds, but this raises the question we should all be worried about – “What does this tell us about 2027?”
Poverty is being used to advance political ambition, and that kind of tells us that we’re in trouble. In 2027, the presidential election winner could be determined by the highest bidders rather than the citizens.
The presence of security agencies, EFCC operatives, and police officers during the alleged vote buying in Ondo state shows a worrying level of negligence from institutions responsible for helping Nigerians achieve a free and fair election. If this can happen at the state level, there’s no assurance that the presidential election won’t be a bigger marketplace for vote trading.
This breach of trust in the system has bigger implications. Many Nigerians already feel uninterested in governance and politics, and incidents like this only push more people into apathy. We hope to be proved wrong in 2027.
The kids are not alright
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report on November 14 that might send chills down your spine. According to the report, a child born today in Nigeria or some other sub-Saharan Africa is likely to live four years less than children in other parts of Africa and the world. These kids also have a 25% higher chance of growing up in poverty.
This report shows that sub-Saharan Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, including resource-rich countries like Nigeria, Angola, and Chad. Yet these countries are struggling.
Why are the kids at risk?
The IMF says that this report goes back to deep-rooted problems like poor governance, systemic corruption, and poor resource management. If you’re wondering how, the report added that oil theft in Nigeria reduces government revenues. When the government manages to find funds for development projects, even these limited funds are usually mismanaged. These things have long-term consequences, and the kids are always at the worst of these consequences.
Since 2014, reducing poverty in resource-rich countries like Nigeria has become harder. In Nigeria, about 56% of Nigerians are now living in poverty. The IMF report adds that children born in countries like Nigeria will likely grow up in poverty and that affects everything from their access to education to their place in society.
What’s the solution?
Thankfully, the IMF thinks that Nigeria can still give its younger population a fair shot at life. But we don’t advise you to get too optimistic because the IMF's proposed strategies include better governance and less corruption. The IMF also advised the government to focus on stabilising the economy, improving the market for small and large-scale businesses, and investing in education. But we all know that’s a long shot, so you might want to reduce your expectations to zero and hope for the best.
The Big Picks
PDP Wins All 14 Chairmanship Positions In Zamfara LG Election: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has swept the Zamfara State local government election, winning all 14 chairmanship seats and every single councillorship position.
Tinubu To Attend G20 Summit In Brazil: President Bola Tinubu is set to leave Abuja for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday to attend the 19th G20 Leaders Summit happening on November 18 and 19.
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