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Cross-Currents: An International Peer-Reviewed Journal on Humanities & Social Sciences | Volume-6 | Issue-06
Money Politics, Vote Trading and Democratic Governance in Nigeria
Oladiran Afolabi, Funmilayo Adeola Tanimola, and Folajimi Ojomo
Published: June 10, 2020 |
212
277
DOI: 10.36344/ccijhss.2019.v06i06.001
Pages: 44-50
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Abstract
This paper explores the phenomenon of vote trading and use of money to entice the electorates in Nigeria‟s
democracy process and the implications on the future of democratic governance in the world‟s most populous black
nation. Vote trading has been in existence in Nigeria‟s electoral system since independence. Although it is seen globally
as an illegal act, the trend in the Nigerian case is overwhelming with political parties and their agents going all out to buy
the conscience of the electorates to their favour during elections. The electoral body in Nigeria which has been
responsible for monitoring and regulating the expenses of candidates and political parties during elections has also not
been completely impartial in such obligations. The Electoral Act of 2010 clearly states the rules guiding campaign
expenses and during the campaign of the 2019 general elections, the electoral body publicly informed all political parties
about the spending limit for campaigns into public offices but this was majorly a mere public announcement as nothing
concrete was done to curb the spending of these political parties and candidates who found other means to beat the
electoral body to it. Vote trading is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the Nigerian electoral Process with negative
consequences on the nation‟s Democratic governance.