…Accuses Political Elites of Weaponising Poverty to Vote Buying
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised alarm over what it described as politically motivated mass impoverishment of Nigerians, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday, HURIWA accused political office holders at both federal and state levels of deliberately refusing to implement pro-poor and pro-growth economic policies in order to keep citizens impoverished and vulnerable to vote-buying.
According to the rights group, politicians believe that the poorer Nigerians become, the easier it is to induce them to exchange their votes for small sums of money during elections.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the government has chosen selective economic empowerment of political allies and cronies, while neglecting the broader population.
“The government concentrates political appointments and give lucrative contracts that are pre-paid to their political strategists and cronies in readiness for accumulating the war chess to prosecute the 2027 election which is why the National Assembly has just marked up the campaign funds’ sealing that is beyond the reach of office seekers with godfather im thd ruling class.”
The group further alleged that governments at the centre and in the federating units are focused solely on retaining power “by every conceivably crooked means,” including deliberately maintaining harsh economic conditions.
HURIWA claimed that many registered voters lack sufficient political awareness and economic independence to resist inducements at polling units.
“HURIWA said that it is certain that the government at both the centre and the federating units are focused on retaining political power by every conceivably crooked means and since millions of Nigerians who have registered as prospective voters at elections aren’t sophisticated and educated enough not to mortgage their consciences and exchange their votes for a few notes of the Naira at the polling boots, therefore politicians have become adept at churning out only capitalist, toxic and draconian economic programmes such as high taxation and tariffs for goods and services so as to keep the majority of the citizens impoverished and too poor to resist offers of ‘peanuts’ (few Naira notes) during elections.”
HURIWA warned that poverty levels are likely to worsen in 2026, just months ahead of the 2027 elections, citing economic projections by global institutions.
According to the group, the Nigeria Economic Outlook 2026 report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) paints a grim picture of deepening poverty and declining living standards.
“HURIWA said it a shame that for millions of Nigerians, poverty is likely to get more acute in 2026 just few months to the 2027 election.”
The organisation noted that expert projections indicate that about 141 million Nigerians — roughly 62 per cent of the population — could be living in poverty by 2026, a development it described as “absolutely unnerving.”
HURIWA recalled that the PwC report titled “Turning Macroeconomic Stability into Sustainable Growth” warned of worsening economic conditions as Nigeria enters another election cycle.
The group also cited warnings from the World Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP) on rising food insecurity and child malnutrition in Nigeria.
“Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger accounts for 77 percent of the foods insecurity figures. Over 13 million children are also expected to suffer malnutrition in 2026, according to WFP in a report published on January 16th 2026 titled ‘Humanitarian aid cuts push millions deeper into hunger amid rising violence and population displacement in West and Central Africa’.”
HURIWA argued that despite claims of economic stabilisation by the government, rising inflation, weak income growth and high living costs continue to push millions of Nigerians below the poverty line.
“PwC notes that most Nigerians are unlikely to enjoy income increases sufficient to offset rising prices in the short term.”
The rights group further alleged that politicians have already tested and perfected vote-buying tactics during previous elections, particularly the 2023 general elections.
“HURIWA claims that the widening scope of poverty amongst majority of Nigerians is politically motivated given that politicians have experimented with giving out financial inducement for votes in some of the off-circle and even during the 2023 general elections and the politicians have realised that due to weakened and compromised anti-graft institutions and also a highly corrupt policing institution, bribes for votes have gone on for long.”
HURIWA also condemned what it described as the use of “stomach infrastructure” as a political weapon.
“Governors seeking either second term or wanting to go to the Senate, often provide palliatives to their heavily impoverished residents of their states so as to compromise the election. National Assembly members have also used the yearly budgets to introduce padding of budgets and provisions for constituency projects which are just ways of capturing and bribing prospective voters.”
The organisation concluded by warning that unless urgent reforms are undertaken, the 2027 elections may lack credibility.
“We in HURIWA fear that the growing poverty rates amongst Nigerians and the intentional implementation of anti-poor and anti-people economic policies at both the centre and the states, are political strategies by the presidency and the governors to win the 2027 election. So the 2027 poll may lack credibility and transparency.” The statement concluded.
