Bolaji Abdullahi, a former Minister of Sports and Youths Development, has charged stakeholders and the nation’s electoral umpire, INEC, to act fast and stop the menace of money politics in Nigeria.
He described extreme monetisation of politics and political processes by some actors in the political arena as the greatest threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Delivering a lecture, titled, “Re-engaging the Media for Credible Democracy” at the 2022 yearly press week programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin on Wednesday, Mallam Bolaji, said politicians had nearly turned political process to a business venture.
Bolaji, who is the Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Kwara Central in next year’s general elections, said the development had brought out all manner of people canvassing for elective positions.
He cautioned that it is capable of making the electorate poorer and miserable in the long run.
“When politicians pay people to vote for them, the act has taken away the capability of the people to decide who governs them. And I think it is the same as soldiers using guns to be in power and politicians using the power of dollars to be in power”, he said.
Mallam Bolaji, who noted that the quality of journalism in the country is a reflection of the nation’s democracy explained that journalism should deepen the nation’s democracy.
“Journalists should be able to play constitutional roles as enshrined in the nation’s Constitution. That is, media practitioners should be able to hold government accountable for adequate provision of education, job opportunity, security, corrupt practices and abuse of power.”
He averred that the constitutional rights of journalists are not sufficient to play expected roles in deepening the nation’s democracy adding that it is the ability and capability of journalists to act in exercising the rights.
Also speaking at the event, a legal luminary, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, who was represented by Professor Wahab Egbewole SAN, called for restructuring of journalism practice ahead of the 2023 elections.
”Journalists are regarded as watchdogs, hence their role in the electioneering process can’t be underestimated. We need to call attention to what journalists should be doing for setting agenda for 2023.
”There is need for restructuring of journalism practice in Nigeria because you must report what is seen and not what the newsmaker wants to be reported.
”We also need to leverage on technology because as journalists, you are working well but other users of social media platforms are bastardizing the ethics of the profession.
Professor Fagbemi also said that it was also important that journalists separate themselves from primordial sentiments beclouding the country like ethnicity and religion.
”Journalists also need to strive to maintain impartiality, independence and balance”, Fagbemi declared.