Human rights advocate and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) leader, Aisha Yesufu, has criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for ignoring vote-buying and other electoral offenses. She suggested that, given the current environment, purchasing votes should be officially decriminalized in Nigeria.
Sharing her perspective on X, Yesufu argued that citizens who follow the law are ultimately harmed by the practice, as they are sidelined by politicians who secure office through illicit financial payments. She characterized the EFCC as being ineffective during election periods. She sarcastically proposed that candidates should stop funding traditional campaigns and instead simply wait until election day to bid for votes, suggesting that the highest bidder should prevail to make the process more transparent.
These comments arise during reports of electoral misconduct in Ekiti State. Dare Bejide, the governorship candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that vote-buying and the distribution of cash occurred at his polling station, noting that neither the police nor Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representatives took action against these claims.
