Some young Nigerians have taken to the streets of Lagos to fight against vote buying. In the heart of one of the biggest markets in the country a passionate young man grabbed a megaphone at Idumota market on Lagos Island and told traders and shoppers to reject the rice spaghetti oil and cash that politicians give out to buy votes during elections.
One of them made it very clear that this nonsense must stop. If leaders truly want the country to work people will feel the positive changes themselves without any bribes. Those few bags of rice do not even last a week yet politicians waste thousands of naira on this kind of bribery during campaigns.
He pointed out how much money they throw away. They bring out thousands of campaign buses but big cities like Lagos still lack ambulances when people need help fast. In this same Idumota market if any emergency happens help takes a very long time to arrive. Not long ago a fire broke out in the market and it burned for a long time before firefighters showed up. Another fire happened near his area and the firefighters were nowhere to be found.
He asked what kind of country are we living in. As soon as election time comes they rush to share rice spaghetti oil and more money for this rubbish. But those billions of naira could actually fix real problems and bring serious changes to the system.
He called on all Nigerians to wake up and stay active. The older generation made mistakes and the new generation must not repeat them. We have to do the right things now so our children can enjoy a safer and better future. The hardworking traders in Idumota deserve better and the answer is a loud no to the whole rotten system.
This powerful video from the market has gone viral with thousands of people praising the strong message. Many are now calling for an end to vote buying and demanding real governance instead of cheap handouts.
