By Umar U. Duguri
Nigeria’s democratic experience is increasingly confronted by a troubling contradiction: politicians who desperately seek the people’s mandate during election seasons often become difficult to hold accountable once they assume public office.
During campaigns, the electorate is celebrated as the ultimate source of political authority. Politicians visit communities, embrace market women, kneel before traditional rulers, share food, distribute money, promise employment, pledge improved security and present themselves as champions of the ordinary citizen.
Yet, after elections, the relationship frequently changes.
The same citizens whose votes were passionately solicited may find themselves struggling to access their elected representatives. Campaign promises become distant memories, abandoned projects remain visible reminders of unfulfilled commitments, and public institutions continue to grapple with the consequences of poor leadership.
This is the disturbing character of what can aptly be described as Nigeria’s politics of deception: a political culture in which electoral victory sometimes takes precedence over public service, political loyalty is rewarded above competence, and the suffering of ordinary Nigerians becomes an instrument of political mobilisation.
The problem is not merely that politicians make promises they fail to fulfil. It is that a political system can reward those who repeatedly exploit the vulnerability of the electorate without demanding corresponding evidence of performance.
One of the most disturbing dimensions of Nigerian politics is the exploitation of economic hardship for electoral advantage.
In communities where unemployment, hunger, inadequate healthcare, poor education and limited economic opportunities have become everyday realities, a relatively small financial inducement can influence political decisions.
Instead of presenting credible economic policies capable of addressing the structural causes of poverty, some politicians resort to distributing cash, foodstuffs, clothing, motorcycles and other temporary incentives during election periods.
There is nothing inherently wrong with legitimate social assistance or helping vulnerable citizens. The problem arises when public compassion is reduced to an electoral transaction, when assistance is conditional on political loyalty, and when handouts are presented as substitutes for sustainable development.
A bag of rice cannot replace a functional school. A motorcycle cannot substitute for a comprehensive youth employment policy. A temporary cash gift cannot compensate for years of poor healthcare, unemployment and economic exclusion.
The electorate must understand the difference between genuine empowerment and political inducement.
A politician who distributes food during an election but fails to support policies that make food affordable and accessible is not necessarily addressing hunger. Such gestures may temporarily relieve suffering without confronting its underlying causes.
Vote-buying is an assault on democratic accountability.
It transforms an important civic responsibility into a financial transaction and undermines the principle that political authority should emerge from the free choice of citizens.
When votes are purchased, political competition shifts away from ideas, integrity, competence and measurable achievements towards financial capacity and the ability to manipulate economic vulnerability.
The consequences extend beyond election day.
A candidate who invests heavily in purchasing political loyalty may regard public office as an opportunity to recover political expenditure rather than a responsibility to serve the public. This creates an environment in which corruption, patronage and the misuse of public resources can thrive.
Democracy cannot deliver its full promise when the ballot becomes a commodity and citizens are treated as political merchandise.
Nigerians must reject the notion that their votes have a market price. The value of a vote is far greater than any amount of money offered during an election.
Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity should be a source of national strength, not an instrument of political division.
Unfortunately, political actors sometimes exploit religious sentiments, ethnic identities and regional loyalties to secure support, distract citizens from governance failures or discredit political opponents.
Rather than engaging in meaningful conversations about economic development, security, education, infrastructure and institutional reforms, some political campaigns are dominated by narratives designed to provoke suspicion, fear and hostility.
This approach weakens national cohesion and makes it increasingly difficult for citizens to evaluate political candidates objectively.
A politician’s religious identity does not automatically establish competence. Ethnic origin is not evidence of integrity, and regional affiliation is not a substitute for a credible development agenda.
Nigeria needs leaders who can govern beyond religious, ethnic and regional boundaries.
The country cannot afford another generation of politics in which identity becomes more important than performance.
Nigeria’s young population represents one of its greatest national assets. Yet, the political environment has repeatedly witnessed the mobilisation of vulnerable youths for intimidation, violence, harassment and other anti-democratic activities.
Some young people, confronted by unemployment and limited opportunities, become susceptible to political exploitation.
They are mobilised during campaigns, used to intimidate opponents, defend political interests and sometimes engage in electoral violence. When the political contest ends, many are abandoned to confront the same unemployment, insecurity and economic hardship that made them vulnerable in the first place.
This is an unacceptable betrayal of the country’s future.
Young Nigerians deserve quality education, productive employment, entrepreneurship opportunities, digital skills, access to finance and meaningful participation in governance.
They should be partners in national development, not instruments of political violence.
Political leaders who genuinely care about the younger generation must demonstrate that commitment through policies, budgets and measurable opportunities rather than campaign slogans.
Another major weakness of Nigerian political culture is the growing tendency to substitute publicity for actual governance.
Government communication is important. Citizens deserve to know what their governments are doing, what public resources are being spent on and what progress is being achieved.
However, propaganda becomes dangerous when publicity is deliberately presented as evidence of performance without independent verification.
Billions of naira may be announced as expenditure on projects, yet communities continue to experience poor infrastructure. Government officials may celebrate approvals and groundbreaking ceremonies while projects remain incomplete.
Political office holders must understand that announcing a project is not the same as completing it. Awarding a contract is not the same as delivering value, and commissioning an infrastructure project does not automatically establish its quality or sustainability.
Citizens must look beyond government publicity and ask fundamental questions:
Where is the project located? How much was appropriated? How much was actually released? Who received the contract? What is the completion status? Has the project delivered the promised benefit?
These are not acts of political hostility. They are legitimate questions in a democracy.
A nation cannot make meaningful progress when political loyalty consistently takes precedence over competence, integrity and public-service experience.
Appointments into strategic public institutions should be guided by qualifications, capacity, professional experience and the ability to deliver results.
However, where political connections become the principal qualification for public responsibility, institutions risk becoming extensions of political patronage networks.
The consequences are often reflected in weak service delivery, poor policy implementation, institutional inefficiency and the erosion of public confidence.
Political loyalty may help a candidate win an election, but it does not automatically qualify an individual to manage public resources or deliver essential services.
Nigeria needs a governance culture that rewards competence, protects institutional independence and holds public officials accountable for their responsibilities.
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages enjoyed by underperforming politicians is the assumption that the electorate will eventually forget.
In some political environments, citizens are mobilised by fresh slogans, new alliances, political defections and familiar campaign promises without sufficiently examining the records of those seeking their votes.
Yesterday’s failures are repackaged as tomorrow’s opportunities. Politicians who abandoned communities return with new promises, while political parties present familiar personalities under different banners.
This cycle will continue as long as political accountability remains weak.
Nigerians must develop a culture of remembering, documenting and interrogating political performance.
Before supporting any candidate in 2027, citizens should examine the individual’s record in public office, legislative contributions, constituency projects, financial accountability, public conduct and commitment to democratic values.
Political parties must also be judged by their records, not merely by the attractiveness of their manifestoes.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the country faces another important democratic test.
The question should not simply be which political party will win, which candidate has the largest financial war chest, or which political structure can mobilise the biggest crowd.
The more important question is: who has the competence, character, vision and commitment to address Nigeria’s most pressing challenges?
The electorate must demand clear answers on insecurity, unemployment, inflation, education, healthcare, electricity, infrastructure, agricultural productivity and the management of public resources.
Candidates should be challenged to explain how their proposed policies will be financed, implemented and independently evaluated.
Campaign promises must be specific, measurable and realistic.
Political parties should be encouraged to publish credible manifestoes, while citizens and civil society organisations should establish mechanisms for monitoring elected officials throughout their tenure.
The 2027 elections must not become another opportunity for politicians to exploit hunger, manipulate religious sentiments, deepen ethnic divisions and purchase temporary loyalty.
They should become an opportunity for citizens to demand a higher standard of leadership.
Nigeria’s political problems cannot be resolved by changing political slogans or replacing one group of politicians with another without changing the standards by which leadership is evaluated.
A sustainable democratic transformation requires deliberate action from citizens, political parties, electoral institutions, the media and civil society.
First, citizens must reject vote-buying. Voters should understand that accepting money in exchange for their votes weakens their ability to demand accountability afterwards.
Second, political parties must prioritise competence. Candidates should be assessed on their records, integrity, leadership capacity and policy proposals rather than their financial influence or political connections.
Third, government spending must be transparent. Budgets, procurement processes, contract awards, project implementation and public expenditure should be accessible to citizens and subjected to effective scrutiny.
Fourth, public officials must face consequences for misconduct. Anti-corruption institutions, legislative oversight bodies and the judiciary must operate professionally and independently, without political interference.
Fifth, the media must remain vigilant. Investigative journalism should continue to expose public-sector failures, interrogate official claims and provide citizens with credible information to make informed decisions.
Sixth, young people must reject political violence. Their future should not be sacrificed to protect the political interests of individuals who may abandon them when elections are over.
Finally, Nigerians must institutionalise political accountability. Elections should not be the only time citizens engage with their representatives. Town hall meetings, constituency engagement, public hearings, community monitoring and regular performance assessments should become normal democratic practices.
Nigeria does not lack human resources, natural wealth, intellectual capacity or entrepreneurial potential.
What remains a persistent challenge is the failure to translate these enormous resources into inclusive economic opportunities, functional public institutions and improved living conditions for ordinary citizens.
The country cannot continue to normalise a political arrangement in which citizens are remembered during elections but neglected after victory.
Leadership is not measured by the number of campaign rallies organised, the volume of money distributed, the size of political crowds or the number of praise singers surrounding an office holder.
It is measured by the quality of schools, the availability of healthcare, the security of communities, the accessibility of justice, the strength of the economy and the dignity of citizens.
Politicians must understand that public office is a responsibility, not an entitlement. Political power is a temporary mandate held in trust for the people, not a licence to exploit their vulnerability.
The greatest danger to Nigeria’s democracy is not merely the existence of politicians who manipulate the electorate. It is the possibility that such manipulation may become an accepted and recurring feature of the political system.
A hungry population deserves economic opportunities, not seasonal handouts. Unemployed graduates deserve jobs and productive policies, not recruitment into political thuggery. Communities deserve functioning infrastructure, not endless project announcements. Citizens deserve accountable leadership, not carefully packaged propaganda.
The responsibility for changing this political culture does not rest exclusively with politicians. It also rests with the electorate, which must become more informed, more discerning and more demanding.
As Nigerians prepare for 2027, the message must be unmistakable:
Reject vote-buying. Reject religious and ethnic manipulation. Reject political violence. Reject empty promises. Reject the politics of hunger.
Do not vote merely because a politician gave you money, distributed food or appealed to your emotions. Examine the record. Question the promises. Demand evidence. Evaluate performance.
Nigeria needs a political culture in which public office holders fear disappointing the electorate more than losing political patronage.
The ballot must remain a powerful instrument of democratic accountability, not a commodity for sale.
The future of Nigeria must not be negotiated away for a bag of rice, a temporary cash gift or another four years of unfulfilled promises.
