Nigeria’s Democracy Under Threat: ADC Candidate Warns Against Vote-Selling
In a stark warning, Moses Paul, the chairmanship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the 2026 elections, has cautioned Nigerians against selling their votes, stating that this practice is eroding the country’s democracy and jeopardizing its future.
Reflecting on the recent August 16, 2025, by-election, Paul described Nigeria’s democracy as “bleeding,” lamenting that politics has been hijacked by affluent individuals, known as “moneybags,” while thuggery is rewarded instead of punished. Quoting Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Paul emphasized, “Nobody buys your vote or shoots his way into office and then goes to work for you.”
Paul likened vote-selling to armed robbery, stressing that citizens who exchange their votes for money are complicit in looting the nation’s treasury. “Every time you sell your vote, you deny your children quality education, you deny your families hospitals that can save lives, you deny your communities water and basic amenities,” he said. “This is the true cost of vote-selling.”
Paul warned that the culture of trading votes is equivalent to “firing bullets at the future of society” and “driving nails into the coffin of good governance.” He insisted that democracy cannot thrive on the foundations of money and violence, but only on the conscience of the people.
While acknowledging the challenges, Paul expressed optimism that Nigeria’s democracy can still be rebuilt if citizens resist inducements and vote responsibly. “Hope is not lost. Democracy does not belong to money or violence; it belongs to the people,” he declared. “If we stand firm, refuse to sell our future, and vote with conscience, we can restore dignity to our people.”
As Paul prepares to contest the AMAC chairmanship in 2026, he urged Nigerians to view their votes as instruments of change rather than commodities to be traded. His message serves as a timely reminder of the importance of civic responsibility and the need to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.
