2023: INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu reveals worry ahead of general elections

Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised an alarm about money politics threatening Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Yakubu said that money politics is becoming more present, adding that the risk is that Nigeria’s democracy may soon become a plutocracy for the rich rather than a democracy for the people.

He spoke at an event organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in Abuja on Wednesday.

The INEC boss said that some of the challenges the commission is facing ahead of the 2023 general election are insecurity, fake news and money politics.

Yakubu said, “My third area of concern is the influence of money on politics and is becoming more present and the risk is that ours may soon become a plutocracy for the rich rather than a democracy for the people.

“The way money is exchanging hands is a source of concern, yes, we’ve collaborated with ICPC and the EFCC and only recently, we renewed our collaboration with the EFCC, saying that we’re going to do something together.

“However, there are two dimensions to it, when you’ve willing connectors it becomes a bit more difficult to contain the situation.

“On the one hand, you’ve brilliant examples, we all saw this on the social media in Anambra when there was an attempt to bribe voters and the women refused to accept the money and voted their conscience.”