Nigeria: 2027 - PDP Faction Cautions Against Selling Votes for Rice, Spaghetti

What the report says

A faction of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party led by former minister Kabiru Turaki has warned voters against accepting food items or cash in exchange for ballots ahead of the 2027 election cycle. The comments were reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica, with the warning delivered in Abuja at the second Bala Mohammed Colloquium in Bauchi, held to mark Governor Bala Mohammed’s 68th birthday.

Turaki urged Nigerians to judge candidates by their ability to provide effective representation and support national development, rather than by short-term gifts such as rice, spaghetti or money. He argued that elections help determine the quality of leadership and said voters who accept inducements, or who stay home, can still contribute to the emergence of poor leaders.

He also criticized what he described as a weakened legislature and said strong democratic checks and balances depend on lawmakers who can hold the executive to account. Alongside this political message, he called for deeper youth participation in governance, saying young people should be treated as active stakeholders rather than symbolic campaign figures.

The remarks reflect a broader concern in Nigeria about vote buying, a recurring issue in elections that election observers and civil society groups have long said can distort voter choice. Nigerian electoral law bars giving or receiving inducements to influence a vote, but the practice has remained difficult to eliminate, especially in communities facing economic hardship.