Leadership accountability advocate and political commentator Hon. Henry Shield has said that Nigerian politicians have completely subdued the people through poverty and manipulation, citing widespread vote buying in the just-concluded Anambra election.
Shield, who observed the election in Anambra, wrote on his official X account on Sunday, “I arrived Anambra on Friday to observe yesterday’s election, and I can boldly say this: NIGERIAN POLITICIANS HAVE CONQUERED THE CITIZENS.”
He described what he witnessed as deeply troubling, lamenting that poverty and ignorance have turned many voters into easy targets for politicians.
“That realisation is where education comes in. I saw faces yesterday that looked like they had been waiting for years to receive that ‘bribe’. They see it as their own ‘share’ of the national cake. Politicians will milk this to the last, unless and until there’s a ballot revolt,” he said.
The comment has since sparked wide outrage online, with many Nigerians agreeing that politicians deliberately keep citizens poor to maintain control over them.
A user identified as @OmegaXDreams wrote, “Seeing vote buying is crazy in 2025. There is hunger in the land; every little token counts for the people, so they go for the money. 2023 will repeat itself until Nigerians say, “Enough is enough.”
Another user, @Osikhena2014, said, “Nigerians are a conquered, endangered species. They will soon be decorated with chains on their hands. Everything revolves around materialism. Shame of a nation.”
Others echoed similar frustrations, describing the Anambra poll as another reminder of how poverty is weaponised under Bola Tinubu’s government to suppress citizens’ freedom and weaken democracy.
A user, @felixherbt, wrote, “Thugs snatch boxes in broad daylight; INEC officials look away; voters bribed with ₦5k. No result sheets at polling units. Democracy buried. NIGERIAN POLITICIANS HAVE CONQUERED THE CITIZENS.”
Commentators said the trend of vote buying reflects a deeper national problem of economic hardship and disillusionment under Tinubu’s administration.
Some users blamed the government for failing to address the hunger crisis, saying desperation has forced citizens to exchange their votes for food and money.
@debbyemenike said, “My own take is that Nigerians like suffering, so why gaslight the Nigerian government for failing when the same Nigerians encourage failures?”
@_yang_EL observed that elections in Nigeria cannot produce meaningful change without grassroots political awareness.
“The masses are kept impoverished for a reason so they’ll do the politicians’ bidding anytime they are called upon. Elections are not won on Twitter but in the trenches. If those trenches are not liberated, just forget any reasonable result or changes,” he said.
Many agreed that the only solution lies in civic education and a collective awakening that could inspire what Henry Shield described as a “ballot revolt”.
For most commentators, the Anambra election has again shown that Nigeria’s democracy remains compromised, with citizens trapped in a cycle of poverty, bribery, and political manipulation while the ruling elite continue to thrive.
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