CBN cash scarcity mounts pressures on Nigerians to sell votes during elections

There are emerging indicators that the lingering scarcity of Naira notes across the country following the redesigning of some Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may put pressures on some Nigerians to sell their votes during the 2023 general elections. National Daily investigations revealed that people rush more to ward meeting of political parties where money is being shared, and feel highly disappointed when any such meeting ends without money being given out.

Some residents of the Ikeja suburb who spoke to National Daily at the weekend decried the unending scarcity of money, expressing the belief that the new Naira notes have been diverted to the politicians. Some of the residents expressed the hope of recovering the perceived diverted money from the politicians at meetings and during the elections.

Some of the residents in the Agege, Iju-Ishaga, Ogba, environs, disclosed to National Daily that they receive between N2,000 and N5,000 in attending the street meeting of a particular party in the state. According to them, the number of people who attend the party’s meeting has continued to increase weekly.

National Daily monitored a visit of a party’s candidate for the National Assembly to residents of Obawole, an outskirt of Ogba, on Sunday. The residents had sat for long hours waiting for the arrival of the candidate, who was received in the evening hours. The candidate after speaking briefly to the crowd, soliciting their support, departed almost immediately. The supporters, on their arrangements, bought about seven cartons of Indomie, shared two sachets to each person, while the candidate departed.

The people became angry immediately, tore all the posters of the candidate within the vicinity and venue of the meeting, even while the candidate was entering the vehicle. They left the venue dejected, expressing anger that the candidate wasted their time. Others who were rushing to the venue on hearing of the arrival of the candidate, met the crowd departing, asking – anything; and the answer was nothing o!

One of the residents revealed that at a meeting of another party, she got N5,000 in two instances. She was, however, optimistic that the candidate would get back to them later.

However, there were speculations that supporters of a particular party were mobilising to attack the candidate and participants at the meeting, which made the candidate depart immediately, without taking questions from the residents.

Some of the residents who spoke to National Daily, were, however, undecided whether collecting money and selling their votes will guide their decisions at the polls,  but complained of hunger and hardship.