Poor Nigerians being priced out of politics, CUPP chairman says

The National Chairman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ojonugwa Ameh, has warned that electoral fraud is weakening Nigeria’s democracy and reducing public confidence in elections.

Ameh, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Kogi East Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, said credible elections were necessary to ensure that leaders remained accountable to the people.

In a statement, he said allegations of election manipulation since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 had weakened trust in democratic institutions and raised questions about the legitimacy of some election results.

According to him, when election results do not reflect the wishes of voters, elected officials may feel less responsible for meeting the needs of the people.

He said Nigeria could not achieve effective leadership without addressing electoral malpractice and ensuring that votes were properly counted.

Ameh alleged that Nigeria’s electoral history included cases where candidates who believed they had won were denied their mandates, while some declared winners faced questions about the credibility of their victories.

He said such controversies had contributed to public distrust and weakened confidence in the electoral process.

The CUPP chairman also expressed concern about the high cost of contesting elections in Nigeria.

He said the financial demands of campaigns and party politics were making it difficult for people without substantial resources to seek elective office.

According to him, capable Nigerians from low income backgrounds could be discouraged from participating in politics because they could not afford the cost of running campaigns.

He warned that democracy could lose its representative nature if only wealthy individuals and candidates supported by powerful interests could compete effectively for political positions.

Ameh called on Nigerians to take a more active role in protecting the integrity of elections. He urged citizens to safeguard their votes and ensure that the results announced reflected the ballots cast.

He stressed that participation in democracy should go beyond voting on election day to include continued public engagement and monitoring of the electoral process.

He also called on political actors and electoral institutions to promote transparency and ensure that candidates competed fairly.

Ameh said rebuilding public confidence in elections required more than promises from authorities. He maintained that transparent procedures, credible elections and active public participation were necessary to strengthen democracy.

He urged Nigerians to reject political apathy and take greater responsibility for deciding who represents them at all levels of government.

The CUPP chairman warned that continued distrust in elections could further weaken confidence in governance.

He said Nigeria needed an electoral system in which political power reflected the choices of voters rather than money, manipulation or other irregularities.