Falana Slams Money Politics, Says ₦30bn Primaries Threaten Nigeria’s Democracy

Falana Slams Money Politics, Says ₦30bn Primaries Threaten Nigeria’s Democracy

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Thursday raised concerns over the growing influence of money in Nigeria's electoral process, warning that the huge sums allegedly spent during party primaries pose a serious threat to democratic governance.

Falana spoke while delivering the keynote address at the 8th Penpushing Annual Lecture held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

The lecture was themed, "Restoring Electoral Integrity: The Path to Good Governance and Public Accountability."

The senior lawyer decried reports that governorship aspirants spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion during recent party primaries, describing the development as dangerous for the country's democracy.

Referring to remarks credited to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, Falana questioned the source of such funds.

"If you are spending between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion on a primary election, how much are you intend to spend in the real election?" he asked.

According to him, such huge expenditures cannot be justified through legitimate earnings and only encourage corruption while undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

Falana also criticised the increasing use of consensus arrangements by political parties in selecting candidates, describing the practice, particularly within the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, as a system that promotes "extortion" and "plutocracy."

He argued that electoral integrity must begin with transparent and credible party primaries, insisting that party members should be allowed to freely choose their candidates.

"Please, let us stop deceiving ourselves. If you are going to talk about electoral integrity, you must start with the primaries," he said.

While acknowledging that the Electoral Act recognises both direct and consensus primaries, Falana maintained that democracy is better served when party members actively participate in candidate selection.

He also warned against attempts to weaken Nigeria's multi-party democracy through the deregistration of political parties or exclusion of opposition groups from elections, saying such actions could fuel political instability.

Drawing from Africa's political history, Falana noted that political exclusion has often paved the way for undemocratic forces to undermine democratic institutions.

He called for comprehensive electoral reforms aimed at strengthening internal party democracy, reducing the influence of money in politics and safeguarding the country's democratic future..