The Convener of Operation Rebuilding The Broken Walls And Hope Initiative, Apostle Dr Paul Akinselure, has called on lawmakers to make political participation affordable and accessible to credible Nigerians, warning that the high cost of obtaining political power threatens good governance in the country.
Akinselure said exorbitant nomination fees, alleged payments to delegates and vote-buying had turned politics into a business venture rather than a platform for public service.
He noted that the huge financial requirements for contesting elections could discourage people with genuine intentions of serving the public from seeking political office.
According to him, some politicians borrow from banks, sell their properties and exhaust their life savings to finance their political ambitions, creating a risk that they may view public office as an investment from which they must recover their expenses with profits.
He warned that such an investment mentality could make citizens, who should benefit from public service, victims of the high cost of securing political power.
Akinselure described the exclusion of well-meaning Nigerians who lack the financial resources to contest elections as a major consequence of the expensive political process.
He urged lawmakers to address the situation urgently by introducing measures to reduce financial barriers to political participation and create opportunities for credible candidates.
He stressed that leadership should be determined by competence, character, vision and commitment to service rather than financial strength.
The convener also called on Nigerians to stop selling their votes, noting that vote-selling undermines citizens’ voices and weakens their ability to demand accountability from elected officials.
He said the country could not afford to continue a system in which political leadership was effectively auctioned to the highest bidder.
According to him, public office should be regarded as a call to serve the people rather than an investment to be recovered through personal gains.
Akinselure called for urgent efforts to make politics affordable, strengthen accountability in public office and promote people-centred governance in Nigeria.
