How much is your vote worth?, by Ibrahim Sarafa

In recent times, I have followed debates on the increasing culture of vote-buying in our electioneering process.

This debate got intense in the aftermath of the Ekiti governorship election as the concept of “Dibo kosebe” (Vote to cook soap) largely weighed on the outcome of the election.

In all of these, one salient fact has been established– votes actually count. Because if it does not, politicians will have no need to dole out as much as N10,000 for a vote as reported in most of the recently held elections in the country. This now brings me to a question– how much is your vote worth?

I have seen many people give different answers to this question, and what I observed in many of the respondents, is that they do not have a full grasp of the power that lies in their votes. For a starter, voting is an essential ingredient in a democracy, and the real purpose is to give the people the power to decide who leads them at a given time.

This may not make so much sense until you consider the kind of impact that your vote can have on you. At a glance, a vote doesn’t seem like a big deal. Many people, men, and women alike believe that sticking their thumbs on ink and placing it on a ballot is not anything unusual, and so, whatever they are offered to vote in a direction is worth it.

But the thing is, they are mistaken. A vote, in form and context, is worth a lot, and why many missed this plain truth is that they are not looking at the math. In Osun for instance, the average budget for the state in a year is around N112 billion. Using this number over the four years that a Governor is expected to spend in the office, we can assume that at least N448 billion will be aggregation of expenditure.

What the number simply tells you is the huge amount of money that your votes entrusted to a Governor, in this instance, for Osun state. Now, the question that should agitate minds before a ballot is cast, is what can be the true worth of a ballot cast?

To calculate the true worth of a vote, we can take deeper thinking on how much expenses can N448 billion fund in four years and the value it can bring to every voter. From a proper perspective, N448 billion can do a lot and that ranges from the payment of salary and pensions, ensuring good healthcare delivery and qualitative education, providing security, and funding infrastructural developments, among other obligations.

When you vote, let us say, because of the N10,000 inducement, you will simply be throwing away the opportunity to get the true worth of your vote. Because, voting for the right person into office will surely ensure that your interests, as well, like those of other citizens are served. Broadly speaking, it will be hard, if not impossible, to have someone who paid his way to the office to be interested in delivering good governance to the people.

This is more reason why we are seeing a sharp drop in commitment to service. Of course, the money received for a vote cast can meet immediate needs, but the long-term implications can be excruciating. This is because the person who paid for your vote will not be committed to your interest in office, and this could result in you paying an even higher price as a cost for your action.

If you only care about what you get now, without concern for what happens to you or your children, as the case may be, for four years, you may choose to accept inducement for your vote. However, if you consider that having a government that serves you will improve your standard of living and make sure you enjoy the benefits of good governance, you have no reason to sell your votes.

By ignoring the lure of vote-buying, you can enthrone a government that will truly work for you, making it possible to fix the education system, improving access to qualitative healthcare, ensuring prompt payments of salaries, gratuities, and pensions, putting public infrastructures in good condition, and working to create opportunities for both young and old. That is as much as your vote can make happen and the best thing for you is to explore it. Don’t sell your vote because the outcome is usually unpleasant.

. Sarafa writes from Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria and can be reached via: neyoclass09@gmail.com; Twitter:@SarafaNgr.