Political movement launched to combat vote buying, selling in Niger

A new political movement, The New Nigeria Movement (TNNM), was formally unveiled in Minna on Saturday, with leaders promising a renewed push for accountable leadership and a strong campaign against vote selling and buying.

At the launch, the National Coordinator, Dr. Kenneth Ibuchi, described vote selling as a significant menace in the nation’s political landscape, emphasizing that vote buying cannot exist without willing sellers.

“This has nothing to do with our leaders but with our mindset. As voters, we need to sensitise ourselves to stop carrying the merchandise mentality. You can survive without selling your vote. The vote buyers will not have any votes to buy if there are no sellers,” he said.

“One of our key campaigns as a movement is to sensitise voters at the grassroots to stop selling their votes. Once they sell their votes, they lose the moral ground to hold their leaders accountable or demand transparency. We need to stop the vote-selling business — it has prospered for years and must be stopped,” he added.

Ibuchi explained that the movement is non-partisan and grassroots-driven, targeting local governments and communities through education campaigns and civic advocacy.

In his address, Honourable Murtala Haliru Dantoro, former Director General of Minna Airport City and Babanna Free Trade Zone, said the movement’s most urgent task is to protect the value of the ballot and end the practice that reduces citizenship to a commodity.

He stated that The New Nigeria Movement represents a new phase in public life and called for a new kind of leadership, stressing that the movement will work to repair broken systems and restore public trust.

“Vote buying is a menace. It is an insidious cancer on the electoral system. Paying for votes turns a sacred civic duty into a short-term transaction and strips communities of long-term development and genuine representation,” Dantoro said.

He warned that leaders who win elections by buying votes become indebted to corrupt interests, rather than to the people who elected them. He added that such leaders will not prioritise building schools, hospitals, or durable roads; instead, they will enrich themselves while leaving citizens to bear the consequences.

Ifeanyo Anthony, Chairman of the State Coordinators Forum (SCF), described the movement as a declaration of hope, unity, and collective action aimed at building a Nigeria that works for all.

He described the SCF as the backbone of the movement, responsible for mobilising, educating, advocating, and uniting people at the grassroots across the state.

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Ifeanyo called on youths, women, and community leaders to join hands with the movement, stating that TNNM will sensitise citizens, push for reforms, and demand leadership that is accountable and service-driven, rather than transactional.

The launch drew party leaders, civil society activists, and ordinary residents, who were all urged to defend the dignity of their vote.