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A foremost human rights activist and senior lawyer, Femi Falana has said a very backward and shortsighted ruling class in Nigeria deliberately ensures that citizens are pauperised and dehumanised in a way that compels them to sell their votes for N500, a little above 1 US Dollar.
Mr Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is among a formidable group of stakeholders exploring the possibility of a progressive coalition on the platform of The Peoples Alternative Political Movement, they say will turn the fortunes of the country and put a stop to cases of vote-buying and selling.
The very outspoken lawyer told ARISE News on Thursday that the new political movement will arrest the unpleasant drift and put the law to work.
“What has happened in our country is that the ruling class, a very reactionary, backward, shortsighted ruling class has deliberately pauperised our people, dehumanise our people in a way that people are compelled to take N1000 or even N500 to sell their votes, but we are going to stop that,” Mr Falana said when he featured on ARISE News, The Morning Show.
“… There are laws by the virtue of the electoral act we are going to stop that and ensure that we make the law to work. Anybody, any group of people that bribe voters, we are going to mobilise young people in the country to ensure that we stop that.
“We are going to appeal to our people if they bring the money, it is your money, take it but invest in the future of your children and that is going to be the difference.
“We are going to bring out the contradictions in the system to our people and when you mobilise them, Nigerians are the easiest people to govern to the best of my knowledge.”
By Abel Ejikeme
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