As the general elections draw closer, politicians are getting desperate to
get more people to cast their votes in their favour.
Last week, I witnessed an amazing drama unfold as a politician tried
frantically to convince my neighbour to cast his vote for a party. When the
politician realized that his effort was getting him nowhere, he decided to use
the power in his pocket. He brought out a bundle of N200 notes and dangled it in
my neighbour’s face, basically the way you would dangle some bait to an animal
you are trying to catch.
“How much is your vote?” he asked, with a deceptive smile on his face.
My neighbour hesitated for a moment, and then he grabbed a piece of paper
and began to scribble down something. When he finished writing, he handed the
piece of paper to the politician saying, “This is the value of my vote.”
The politician went through the paper briefly and then squeezed and threw
it away, in my direction. He hurried away, saying that my neighbor wasn’t
being rational. My neighbour, realizing I was watching, picked up the paper and
said, waving the paper at me, “Am I being irrational?” I collected the paper and
took a quickly look at it. He had written on the paper the breakdown of his
family’s expenses, which the government (according to him) had so far failed to
provide or make available for its citizens. He then multiplied everything by
four (4) years. Something like this:

Security - N20,000 per month x 12 months x
4 years = N960,000

Generator - N40,000 per 2 years x 2 = N80,000

Fuel for generator - N1,000 per day x 365 days x 4 years
=
N1,460,000

Potable water - N500 per day x 365 days x 4 years =

N730,000

Healthcare Insurance - N10,000 per month x 12 months x 4 years =
N480,000
Education - N5,000 per month x 12 months x 4 years =
N240,000

Housing - N500,000 per year x 4 years
= N2,000,000

Total - N5,950,000 (five million
nine hundred and fifty thousand naira).

Well,” he explained as I continued to stare at his breakdown, “if asking for the
basic necessities of life is not being rational, I wonder what is rational?” I
wasn’t trying to be difficult,” he continued. “I believe this is a
modest breakdown of expenses considering I have a wife and a kid. If you have a
larger family, the value of your vote may be much higher than this,” he
concluded. So, my dear friend, if you want to sell your vote, I won’t say
“don’t.” But, be like my neighbour. Make sure it is “worth its weight in
gold.” (Inspired by a true story) Wish Nigeria the Best of Leaders Through a
Free and Fair Election.
Have a Peaceful Election!