Two aspirants for Senate President, Speaker reportedly offering $1million per vote

The two candidates seeking Nigeria’s third and fourth highest office have said they plan to bribe their fellow lawmakers with $1 million each to get elected.

Governors elected on the platform of the ruling party in Nigeria, Congress of All Progressives (APC), stated this “rumour” in a statement to the newly elected President of the country, Bola Tinubu.

Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) government leaders said they were aware of “rumors” that two lawmakers, one the Senate President and the other the Speaker of the House of Representatives, were willing to offer between $500,000 and $1 million. legislator in exchange for votes.

Although they did not name the two candidates allegedly involved in the bribery scheme, it was suggested that the two candidates are members of the APC.

“Indeed, there are rumors that one candidate for the Presidency of the Senate and another for the Speakership are ready to offer between $500,000 and $1 million per vote. Opposition members of the National Assembly are being judged by the possibility of a 2015 situation if they are not careful.

PREMIUM TIMES only notify The PGF in a statement called for Mr Tinubu’s intervention in the zoning of the main offices of the federal parliament. The governors recommended a zoning formula for offices.

According to the memorandum which was the outcome of the meeting held on April 8, the governors warned Mr. Tinubu that “excessive investment” by aspirants could make zoning impossible if action is not taken quickly.

According to the governors, candidates are offering newly elected members of the legislature thousands of dollars in support, and some are willing to take the offer to a million dollars per vote.

“It is imperative that the President-elect and the Party step into this situation and announce an acceptable zoning formula as soon as possible. This is necessary to avoid overinvestment by candidates, which leads to haste and bitterness. New senators-elect and members-elect are offering thousands of dollars.

“In fact, it is rumored that one candidate for the Presidency of the Senate and another for the Speakership are ready to offer between $500,000 and $1 million per vote. Opposition members of the National Assembly are being judged if they are not careful with the likelihood of a 2015 situation,” the statement reads in part.

Composition of the National Assembly

After the February 25 election, the ruling APC was the party with the majority in the 109-member Senate, with its 57 elected senators.

However, it has not yet formed a comfortable majority in the 360-member House of Representatives, which currently has 162 elected members.

Seven other parties that are members of the 10th session of the House have about 163 members.

The number is expected to rise after by-elections held across the country on Saturday. Elections were held in 31 federal constituencies and five senatorial constituencies.

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The two chambers of the National Assembly will be inaugurated in June and the presidents will be elected there.

History of vote buying in Nigeria

Nigeria’s electoral process has been marred by vote-buying, where politicians offer money to voters in exchange for votes.

Party primaries in Nigeria are also marred with allegations of vote-buying, especially if only delegates are allowed to vote in those primaries.

It was PREMIUM TIMES notify how a Peoples Democratic Party representative, Tanko Sabo, gave millions of Naira to some people in his local government after serving as a representative in the primaries.

Mr. Sabo told reporters in Kaduna that he earned so much money because he represented his party in the state assembly, National Assembly, governorship and presidential primaries.

Former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, also last year supposedly That candidates in the June 2022 APC presidential primaries offered money to delegates.