A former governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said on Sunday that financial strength of candidates and not popularity or acceptance determined the winners of all past elections in Nigeria including the just-concluded Kogi State governorship poll.
The people of the state had on Saturday voted for the governor in an election contested by 22 candidates of different political parties, including the incumbent Governor Idris Wada.
Musa, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, stated that money had always decided elections in Nigeria rather than the electorate freely choosing their leaders.
He said, “ I have no word for the candidates, the two major contestants or the winner of the election because I know that no election was free and fair in Nigeria. All are decided by money power. It is the candidate with the highest financial strength that the odds favour.”
According to Musa, money power was not the order of the day during the colonial era, because the colonial masters only gave order to choose who they wanted in high positions.
The first civilian governor of Kaduna State further said, “The votes of the people have never counted in any election in Nigeria and they may never count until money power is removed from politics.’
Also, Musa said to contest for even the chairmanship or councillorship post in Nigeria required money power, hence the best candidate may not emerge. Punch
