What will you do if politicians offer you money for votes?

Respondents
In the build-up to the 2015 elections, there have been various
reports of politicians going about inducing voters with money
and gifts to gain votes. Saturday PUNCH went out to ask
some Nigerians what they would do if any candidate
approached them with money in order to gain their votes
The money would be for my upkeep
Mrs. Olayinka Bakare, unemployed
I have a PVC but I am not ready to go out and vote on
election day. The only thing that would make me leave my
house on election day is if I am promised a job and if there is
assurance that it is not just another promise that would go
unfulfilled. I have been jobless since last year and things have
really been hard for me. I started a business last year when I
lost my job. I was selling meat but the business also folded
up later. Now, I don’t even know what to do. Voting is the last
thing on my mind. So, if anybody gives me money to vote for
him, that money would be for my upkeep, not voting.
I will never collect money to vote
Mrs. Bolaji Tiamiyu, Trader
No matter what anybody pays me, I would not change my
mind about who I would vote for. I have realised that
politicians are liars. I am not ready to sell my vote. How can I
sell my vote when I know that they would end up deceiving
me? I have been told that our votes are powerful and I am
ready to use it to fight for my right. I will go out and vote but
would never collect anybody’s money to change my mind.
It’s an insult to offer me money
Idris Abu, anti-corruption crusader
I would not vote on sentiment and neither would I vote based
on pecuniary benefit. I have been carrying my PVC on me
since I got it because I know how important it is. I would not
change my mind about my candidate for any reason. I am not
one of those people who vote without genuine reasons. I have
weighed my options and made a choice about who to vote for
based on those reasons. It will even be an insult for anybody
to offer me money for me to change my mind on who to vote
for.
I can’t sell my children’s future
Mrs. Kehinde Adejare, plantain seller
I would not collect money to vote for someone, ever. This
election is a destiny vote. I have to ensure that I don’t sell my
children’s destiny. I cannot collect peanut just to vote for
someone and my children begin to suffer in the future. I would
only be destroying their future and I cannot do that. If we all
sell our votes, bad people would continue to stay in power and
we would continue to be poor. I sell food by the roadside. I
want my life to improve and I cannot contribute to my own
poverty.
Nobody can bribe me
Abimbola Arike, trader
I am ready to vote and would never sell my vote. I am not
hungry to the extent of collecting money so that I can change
my mind. Nothing will make me change my mind about who to
vote for. I am not contented with where I am but I cannot
blame politicians because they do their best. It is my right to
vote for whoever I like. This is why nobody would bribe me
into voting for them.
I’ll not collect it
Alex O, musician
I think the most important thing is whether I believe in the
policies the candidate is selling. If the person’s policies make
sense to me, that is the person I would vote for. Some people
might take the money and still vote for whoever they want to
vote for because nobody would be there when you are voting.
It boils down to who you think can give you what you are
looking for. I would not collect the money because I would
vote based on who I believe would make the country a better
place.
My vote not for sale
Wale Adebayo, actor
Basically my vote is meant to be mine and it is not for sale. I
am going to vote based on what I believe in and it does not
matter if he becomes the wrong person at the end of the day.
I would vote for a person I believe can give me what I think I
want. My political views have to be in alignment with the
person’s own. Whether I collect money from him does not
matter as long as I vote based on my ideals and principles.
The person would practically be wasting his money, especially
if I was not even planning to vote for him to begin with. I
thought that we should have gone past using money to induce
people to get votes. I will reject the money.
I have always rejected such
Foluke Daramola, actress
I have been offered money several times which I rejected but I
will not mention names. I don’t do such because I am voting
for my conscience, my future, and I am voting for change.
That is what I am voting for and not because of money. At the
end of the day, the money will finish. We need a restructuring
in our system, our industry and in Nigeria as a whole for the
future of our children. I will never compromise my stand or
integrity for money.
I will reject it
Fidelis Duker, filmmaker
Personally my vote is not for money. I think we have got to a
point in Nigeria where we would decide a leader without being
induced by anything. I will not accept money from anybody to
vote; I will rather reject it. I want to vote based on my
conscience. We have got to a point where the polity is heated
up and it is good. It is now obvious to politicians that you
cannot take Nigerians for granted. That is the beauty of this
election. Whoever wins would know that for the next four
years, he has to work hard, if not he would be kicked out by
the people. People would vote based on their conscience and
look beyond propaganda and lies. People now know better and
the best man among them would win. Definitely, I will not
subscribe to collecting money.
It is tempting but I won’t take it
Evaezi, actress
If it happens that he is the person that I want to vote for, then
it is okay but if it is not the person that I want to vote for,
then too bad for the person. I would vote based on my
principles and ideologies. I would vote based on who I feel
would make the country a better place. As for the money, I
would not want to be a hypocrite and say I will not collect the
money. It is quite tempting. Even if I collect the money, he
would not know that I did not vote for him. Although
collecting the money seems very tempting, I doubt I would
take it.
I will collect the money but won’t vote for them
Seyi Coker, Businessman
I will collect the money but I won’t vote for the person if he’s
not my candidate. If I let the money influence who I vote for, it
will be like buying my entire life for filth; it’s nonsense. It’s
like selling my right and I can’t sell my right to anyone. My
conscience will not be at peace if I go ahead and vote for the
person if I’m not convinced that he will perform well in the
position.
If the amount is not insulting, I will collect
Uwem Umoh, Businessman
I will collect the money, provided it is not derogatory or
insulting. By that I mean if the money is not just a small
amount of money. Then, I would still definitely and
courageously and convincingly vote my choice of candidate. It
doesn’t matter that I collected money or not.
If I don’t collect it, I will lose
Mrs. Florence Thomas, Trader
In Nigeria of today, if anybody gives me money, I will accept it
but it doesn’t mean I will vote for him. If I don’t collect the
money, then I will be the one who will lose. After all, no one
will know who I vote for since no one will be at the polling
booth with me when I cast my vote. No candidate has brought
anything to my area in Shomolu, Lagos this year but I heard
some candidates have been distributing umbrellas around
here. During past elections, they shared everything here- rice,
money and so on. I collected everything and still voted for the
candidate of my choice.
I have my job
Abbas Samuel, Businessman
No, I won’t accept any money from any candidate who wants
me to vote for him or her. What if I collect the money and the
candidate ends up to be a terrible public servant. We need
good leaders who will take us to the promised land. No
amount of money will sway me and make me vote against my
conscience. So I won’t collect money from anyone since I
have a job. If I didn’t have a job, it would be another matter.
Any money I collect will only last me for a day or so, so why
sell my vote?
It’s corruption
Chinwe Ndu, office assistant
I can’t accept money from any candidate; it’s corruption. No,
it is very wrong. It’s like selling my right, so I won’t do it.
What we need in this country are people who will do what the
people want when they get into offices. I will vote for the
candidates that I believe will do the things the masses want,
not people who will go there to steal our money.
No matter the amount, I won’t collect
Gozie Irobie, singer
My vote is supposed to speak for me. There is no way I would
collect anybody’s money. Collecting money is not even the
issue. We just have to vote during this election. I am not
going to collect any money; no matter the amount I am paid. I
just have to perform my civic responsibilities and that is it.
I will take it because it is our money
Bethel Okorie, Musician
Everybody needs money, so if any candidate offers me money
to vote for him, I will collect it and vote for the candidate of
my choice. Before I vote, I look at the antecedents, profiles
and promises of the candidates before deciding on who to
vote for. No one can buy my conscience; the future of my
family, my children, generations yet unborn and my own are at
stake. I’ve seen politicians promise heaven on earth and then
do nothing. Many of them are there for business; they offer
people money because of what they know they will get there.
Some of them are being sponsored by godfathers who are
looking at getting their money back once their candidates win.
So if I collect the money, I’m actually collecting our money
that they have looted.
Anyone that does that disqualifies himself
Gbenga Bada, Senior Associate, Pulse.ng
Candidates who offer electorate cash in exchange for votes
have firstly displayed an act of malpractice and corruption. A
credible and confident candidate would lure me to the polls to
vote for him or her by giving me convincing plans on how to
improve the state of the nation and plans for a better future.
Thus, I would reject the cash but vote the candidate I deem fit
to lead me and provide a better future.
How can I reject money?
Seun Oloketuyi, CEO, Best of Nollywood
I would definitely collect the money. Lai Lai! How can I reject
the money? Is it not our money? But that said, I would still
vote who my conscience advises me to vote, I would still vote
for the credible person.
I will reject it
Blessing Desmond, businesswoman
I will certainly not accept such money. No matter the reason, I
cannot do that. Selling my votes is just the same as selling
my future and those of my children. I would reject the money
and vote for the right person.
I will collect it but I won’t change my mind
David Unah, businessman
Nobody can induce me with money to vote for them. I would
vote for whoever my conscience tells me to vote for and that I
know that has good plans for us as a country. But if the
person pressures me into collecting the money, I will pocket it
and still vote for the candidate of my choice; after all he or
she won’t be there at the point of casting the ballot.
I will never collect it
Aniekan Reuben, businessman
Nobody can use money to change my mind. I would vote for
the candidate and party I support, no matter how huge the
money anybody is trying to offer me. I will never collect it. I
am from Akwa Ibom State and I strongly believe in the party I
support and all the candidates. So, as far as I am concerned,
nobody can use money to change my mind.