₦10 million pledge: Lawyer warns Wike, politicians against buying

A constitutional lawyer and public affairs commentator, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other politicians against using money to influence voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ahiakwo was reacting to reports that Wike had promised to give each councillor ₦10 million for helping President Bola Tinubu win their respective wards in the 2027 elections.

Wike had defended the offer, describing it as a reward for political mobilisation rather than an attempt to buy votes.However, Ahiakwo said calling the payments mobilisation rewards did not automatically make them legal. He explained that the purpose of the payments and how they would be used must be examined under the law.

In a statement issued in Calabar, the lawyer cited Section 125(1)(a) of the Electoral Act 2026, which prohibits giving or promising gifts or money to influence electoral outcomes.

He noted that legitimate campaign activities and payments for genuine services were not automatically illegal. However, he said the intention behind such payments must be considered before determining whether an offence had been committed.

Ahiakwo also questioned the idea of elected councillors being expected to deliver their wards to politicians, stressing that votes belong to the people and not political leaders.

He said no politician, regardless of their position or influence, had the right to control how citizens voted.

The lawyer described the controversy as part of a wider problem in Nigeria’s democracy, where some politicians appeared willing to ignore the law whenever it stood in the way of their political interests.

He said Nigeria’s problem was not necessarily a lack of laws but the failure of some politicians to obey them.