Money politics shrinking democracy – Baye-Osagie

Senior legislative aide, to Senate president, Douglas Baye-Osagie, yesterday decried excessive spending by politicians in election processes declaring that “money politics is quickly shrinking the nation’s political space”.
Baye said money politics is fast becoming “a key variable in determining who participates in electoral politics and used to garner votes and voices in Nigeria as godfathers openly confess about purchasing electoral victories”.
The aide stated this at the 2nd Quarterly Symposium organized by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, with the theme: “2019: The Role of INEC, Politicians and Stakeholders in a Credible Election”.
Baye advocated for a well functioning electoral institutions which according to him, promote an inclusive and transparent electoral process.
However, he expressed concerned that some of the activities that played out during the 2015 general elections are repeating itself in the present time.
The legislative aide listed the factors to include monetary and other forms of inducements, propaganda, and militarization of the polity and manipulation of sectional sentiments.
According to him, “it is deducible from the extent of inflammatory campaign comments, editorial articles and advertisements appearing in the media which INECs 2013 Code of Conduct for political parties prohibits and the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has derailed on its mandate of regulating media activities”.
Earlier, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Mrs.
Nefishetu Yakubu said: “the society look up to us to play a strong role in not only reporting the news, but to set agenda (in fairness)”.
“We have a duty to help ourselves and our country achieve nationhood, by articulating solutions to perceived problems staring at us,” Yakubu said.
Other participants at the events, includes, representatives of NGOs, civil society groups, Mr.
Chris Nehikhare, spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr.
Chris Azebamwen.

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