Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Kabiru Turaki has urged Nigerians, particularly young voters, not to exchange their votes for money, food or other short-term benefits ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Turaki made the call at a colloquium organised in Bauchi State to mark Governor Bala Mohammed’s 68th birthday. The event brought together political figures and other stakeholders ahead of the next general elections.
Addressing Nigerian youths, Turaki warned that accepting immediate rewards in exchange for electoral support could undermine their ability to demand accountability from elected officials. He specifically criticised the practice of distributing “money and spaghetti” to voters, saying citizens who sell their votes weaken their moral and legal standing to demand quality governance from those they elect.
“I want to speak to the Nigerian youths. Power is never given. Power is taken,” Turaki said.
He questioned the repeated description of young Nigerians as “leaders of tomorrow”, arguing that successive generations have been given the same message without being given sufficient opportunities to exercise political power.
Turaki urged young Nigerians to become more actively involved in politics and to participate in choosing leaders at different levels of government. He also warned that voters should not expect effective representation after willingly exchanging their votes for immediate benefits.
“At that point, you will have neither the legal right nor moral right to demand quality leadership for your people,” he said.
Turaki further raised concerns about the quality of legislation in Nigeria and argued that voters should pay greater attention to the calibre of lawmakers they elect. He said the focus should not simply be on the number of laws passed by the National Assembly but on whether those laws address pressing challenges such as hunger, unemployment, poverty and insecurity.
“Every day, laws are being churned out at the legislature. But the question is: are these legislations fundamental to our needs in this country?” he asked.
His comments come as political parties and politicians begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, with voter participation and electoral accountability expected to remain major issues in the political debate.
