The just-concluded Ondo State governorship election has once again exposed the tragic and unchanging reality of Nigeria’s electoral system—a system so deeply entrenched in corruption that it has become a farce. This is not a matter of a few “bad apples” within the system, but a reflection of a political culture that thrives on the exploitation of poverty, the manipulation of vulnerable citizens, and the perversion of democracy. It is a disturbing reminder of the editorial stance we took on September 24, 2024, in which we concluded that Nigeria’s electoral process is irreparably flawed and incapable of producing the leaders the country desperately needs. The farce witnessed in Ondo reaffirms this grim reality.

The monetary cost of this election serves as a grotesque illustration of the corruption that pervades Nigeria’s political system. Reports of widespread vote-buying—ranging from N5,000 to N20,000 per voter—paint a disturbing picture of how elections are fought and won in Nigeria. According to preliminary findings by Yiaga Africa, both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were actively engaged in these corrupt practices, coercing citizens into selling their votes for a few thousand naira. In the case of the winning APC candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, if each of the 366,781 votes he garnered cost an average of N12,500, that alone would mean over N4.6 billion was spent on purchasing the electorate’s loyalty. When factoring in the additional costs of heavily monetized primaries, campaigns, and election-day expenses, it is estimated that not less than N20 billion was likely spent by the APC to secure this victory. The PDP, despite being the losing party, would have spent a similar sum, albeit at a somewhat reduced scale.

This staggering amount of money represents a horrifying distortion of the democratic process. It is not an investment in public policy, infrastructure, or social services, but rather a massive outlay aimed at buying votes to maintain the stranglehold of the ruling parties on the system. In a country where basic services such as healthcare, education, and security are woefully inadequate, this obscene expenditure underscores the priorities of the political elite: the pursuit of power at any cost, even if it means prolonging the suffering of the very people they claim to serve.

The security lapses in Ondo, as reported by both Yiaga Africa and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), further highlight the systemic rot that runs through Nigeria’s electoral framework. Election observers documented numerous instances where security personnel were either absent or complicit in the vote-buying process. In one shocking case, police officers were seen in an altercation over the distribution of money—allegedly bribes—between party agents. In other instances, security agencies looked on, indifferent or ineffectual, as party agents handed out cash to voters. This absence of accountability is not a mere oversight, but a reflection of how the institutions meant to safeguard democracy have been co-opted by the very forces undermining it.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), too, continues to show a disturbing lack of will to curb these malpractices. Despite the presence of technological systems such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which was intended to enhance the credibility of the election process, the system failed in certain areas, causing delays and disenfranchising voters. The malfunctioning BVAS is emblematic of the broader dysfunction within Nigeria’s electoral machinery, which continues to operate with limited regard for the principles of fairness and integrity.

At the heart of this electoral tragedy lies a psychological and moral defect that is as corrosive as the financial corruption it breeds. The willingness of political figures to engage in vote-buying is not merely a tactic—it is a reflection of a deeper moral decay. Any individual who would bribe voters to win an election has already demonstrated a profound disregard for the public good. Such individuals are driven by an insatiable hunger for power, not for service, and this disposition inevitably seeps into their governance.

The psyche of the typical Nigerian politician is one that has internalized corruption as a necessary and acceptable tool for achieving power. The act of buying votes, as was so prevalent in Ondo, is not an anomaly but a symptom of a broader cultural and systemic rot. This corrupt mindset, once embedded in an individual, does not dissipate upon assuming office. On the contrary, it reinforces itself, ensuring that governance is not about the welfare of the people but about consolidating personal power, enriching cronies, and maintaining the status quo.

The irony is stark: the very same politicians who use state resources to secure electoral victories are the ones who, once in power, preside over the misallocation and misappropriation of public funds, leading to the continued degradation of the country. A system that rewards these actions cannot produce competent, ethical leaders; it can only foster a class of politicians who view governance not as a public trust but as a lucrative business opportunity.

What we saw in Ondo—and across the country—is not an isolated incident but part of a larger, unbroken pattern. From Edo to Ondo, and countless other states, Nigeria’s political and electoral systems have been hijacked by two dominant parties that have perfected the art of corrupting the process. As we noted in our September 24 editorial, the current system is beyond reform. It is a mechanism designed to perpetuate the power of a corrupt elite that has no interest in the welfare of the people. Elections have ceased to be a genuine contest of ideas and policies and have instead become a transactional process in which power is auctioned to the highest bidder.

It is clear that Nigeria’s political system is fundamentally flawed. No amount of tinkering with the edges of the electoral process will change the fact that the system itself is designed to fail the people it is meant to serve. The cost of this failure is not merely monetary—it is measured in the perpetuation of poverty, the collapse of public services, and the erosion of hope for a better future. If Nigeria is to escape this endless cycle of corruption and misgovernance, it will require nothing short of a radical overhaul—a new political and electoral system built on transparency, accountability, and a genuine commitment to the public good.

Until then, elections like the one in Ondo will remain little more than a farce—expensive, corrupt, and ultimately meaningless to the millions of Nigerians who continue to suffer under the weight of bad governance.