Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the general overseer of Salvation Ministries, has cautioned the Nigerian electorate against exchanging their votes for monetary inducements during elections, noting that accepting such bribes typically results in four years of hardship.
Addressing his congregation during a church service, the clergyman stressed that citizens should abandon the practice of voting based on political party affiliations or financial gifts. Instead, he advised voters to evaluate candidates strictly on their competence and capacity to deliver effective governance.
Highlighting the short-lived nature of election-period handouts, Ibiyeomie pointed out that temporary financial gains would be depleted in a matter of days, whereas the negative outcomes of poor leadership would endure for years.
“Never sell your conscience for money. Nigerians, it is time not to sell your conscience. Don’t vote party, vote who can deliver,” he stated during the sermon.
The religious leader further encouraged the public to resist oppressive tendencies from political actors, maintaining that taking money from politicians would offer no shield against economic difficulties and governance failures.
“If you vote because they give you money, you go suffer,” Ibiyeomie reiterated, underscoring the direct link between electoral choices and subsequent living conditions.
Vote buying and financial inducement have long remained significant challenges within the Independent National Electoral Commission framework during Nigerian electoral cycles, prompting frequent appeals from civil society organizations, religious leaders, and anti-corruption advocates for systemic reform and voter reorientation.