2023: Politicians with pending corruption charges should be barred from contesting — Yerima Giade

It has been suggested that for Nigeria to have good leadership it has been yearning for, all politicians who have corrupt cases hanging on their necks at various courts across the country should be barred from contesting elections in the 2023 general elections. 

The suggestion was made by an old generation politician in Bauchi State, Yerima Aliyu Giade while fielding questions from journalists on the 2023 general elections stressing that Nigeria must get it right this time around. 

He said that, “I am calling on the NASS to as a matter of necessity enact laws as part of the Electoral law banning anyone with a pending corruption charge in the court from contesting. If that is done, right people will be elected because what we need is good leadership.”

The former National Commissioner at the Federal Character Commission also advised voters not to sell their votes for peanuts no matter the temptation to do so because according to him, it will amount to mortgaging their future and that of the entire country.

Yerima Giade who had served as Commissioner in the government of Bauchi State severally, said that,”I am not against anybody collecting money from whoever, but what I am saying is that nobody should sell his/her vote, and nobody should sell his/her conscience. When they bring, collect but act base on your conscience.”

According to him, “It is disgusting to see people sell their votes. It is disgusting to see a housewife putting her voter’s card on top of her hijab looking for N500 in a place like Bauchi in present day Nigeria during the last general elections. It is a shame. That is how bad the situation has degenerated”. 

He stressed that, “If we, the politicians, will go round and distribute money, so they should collect it because it is their money, perhaps, they might have been stolen. But not for them to come out and start selling their votes, that is wrong and we must start discouraging it.”

Speaking further, he said that, “If we must persuade them to vote for us, yes, give incentives. You can give cars, bags of rice, sugar, whatever, to persuade someone to vote for you. What I am saying is that whatever you give me, I will take it. It is up to me to say thank you first and then to decide whether to vote for you or not.

“When you sell your vote, you are mortgaging your future and that of the nation and the future of your children. However, I know the level of poverty, there are people who cannot tolerate it. Let us reduce poverty by telling people how to take care of themselves,” he added. 

Yerima Giade further called on Nigerians not to focus on political parties during the 2023 general elections but on the candidates the political parties are fielding saying that it is the elected person that will be held accountable for any failure, not the political parties. 

He emphasised that political pressure groups in the country like ‘The Nigeria Agenda’ should go round the country to sensitize the citizens on the need for them to set aside ethno-religious and sectionalism in the choice of candidates in the 2023 General elections. 

He expressed optimism that if such was properly done, the 2023 General elections will produce the kind of leaders who will move the country forward positively.