Nigerian Politics Still Money Driven – PDP Chieftain

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Chief Nname Robinson Ewor, says Nigerian politics is still money driven, despite attempt by some persons to deny it.
Chief Ewor said this as part of his response to questions on the decision of Mr Peter Obi not to give money to anyone during elections while featuring as a guest on a live radio programme in Port Harcourt.
The PDP chieftain described politics as a very expensive venture the world over, adding that from the very first to the last stages, it involves money.
“Life itself is full of challenges. When we talk of the Nigerian society today, we have challenges at every level, challenges of governance, challenges about the people. As far as politics is concerned, as I said earlier, it is a very very expensive venture”, he said.
He argued that fundi is required from the formative stages of political parties to the stages of fielding candidates for elections.
“There is no way you can rule out funding as far as the political system is concerned”, he stressed.
Chief Ewor said that the situation in Nigeria is compounded by the level of political illiteracy and poverty, adding that in “Nigeria we are at a point where the situation is so bad that even the electorates themselves ask for money”.
“During the election, and for a presidential aspirant who wants to run for president today to say he won’t spend money, that means he is not prepared”, he said.
He said as long as Nigeria is concerned, voters, especially the uneducated ones, will still want monetary inducement to vote for particular candidates.
Chief Ewor, however, said the business of making the electoral process free and fair lies with the government of the day, adding that if the government of the day decides that it is time to end money politics and ensure free and fair election without financial inducement, it could do it through legislations.
“Well, as we are talking, we have government in place in Rivers state, we have government in place in the country.
“We have the Executive, Legislative and the Judicial arms, it is up to them to make enabling laws for good governance of the country and the state, and as citizens, our duty is to obey.
Speaking on the defections of Mr Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the elder statesman said it was their right to defect, but faulted Mr Obi for claiming that he would not give money to anyone during election.
On the chances of the PDP in the forthcoming elections in the state, he said that the party already has the structure and goodwill to win election in the state.
According to him, the PDP had held sway in Rivers State until recently when the Governor defected to the APC, adding that the PDP still remains deeply rooted across the state.
“The PDP is well known in the state. We have the structures across the 23 local government areas, all the Wards and all the communities in the state”, he said.
He expressed the confidence that any candidate of the PDP stands a good chance to win any election in the state because the party has a structure.
“The people of Rivers State, the electorate themselves, know PDP already in this state has given them good governance, they have delivered on projects over the years”, he argued.

By: John Bibor,Wilson Abereniboye,Douglas Sotonye ,Chukwuma Divine&Fortune Paibi