Political culture describes how culture impacts politics. Every political system is embedded in a particular political culture. It is expected to depict what people believe and do based on their understanding of the political system in which they live. This political culture may be regarded as good or bad when compared with global best practices or norms.
It has been observed over the years that politics in Nigeria is influenced, shaped and promoted by ethnicity, religion and socio-economic dynamics. One of the growing and disturbing popular political trends is the “political culture of impunity”. An element of impunity in politics is non-adherence to party constitution. Some politicians, particularly governors and top government officials, are the major financiers of political parties. More often than not, these political elite impose their views and dictate to the leadership of political parties. As it is popularly said, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”
As a result, anti-party activities are exhibited by such politicians without any consequences while the parties act as mere vehicles for achieving their political ambitions and are later discarded at their whims and caprices. In essence, this culture of impunity manifests among elected political office holders as they defect from one political party to another, in outright violation of their parties’ constitutions. To stem this tide, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) recently required all its candidates for elective offices to sign mandatory anti-defection indemnity and affidavit forms, committing to forfeit their seats and return their mandates if they defected to another political party after winning an election.
Worse still, the nation has also witnessed in recent times a situation where politicians who claim to belong to a political party simultaneously campaign for candidates in other political parties. In this regard, the activities of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, also a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), come to mind. Though Wike’s party has a presidential aspirant for the 2027 general elections, he has not minced his words in campaigning for President Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Some governors are not left out in this action. For instance, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, elected on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, has openly declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. This action has been described by many political pundits and gladiators as “impunity of the highest order.” This is a misnomer and is purely driven by vested and selfish interests on the part of the politicians involved.
From a broader perspective, electoral violence, rigging, thuggery and ballot-box snatching, deployed by the political elite, are part of political impunity. Often, there is no prosecution or punitive measures taken against the perpetrators of these electoral malpractices. They are treated like sacred cows.
In addition, vote-buying has become a significant aspect of politics, hence becoming a popular culture since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. As widely observed, vote-buying has been increasing in Nigeria during every election period in recent years. It is even becoming more sophisticated with advancements in technology. Several videos and images have emerged showing the sordid acts of sharing money, food items, wrappers and other forms of inducements to the electorate before or during elections. After the poll, the United Kingdom had expressed concern over instances of vote-trading (also known as vote-buying) by agents of political parties in the recent governorship election in Osun State.
The UK disclosed this in a statement issued on August 17, 2026, through the British High Commission (BHC), Abuja: “We note reports of isolated incidents that generated tension before and during the electoral process and the significant remaining challenge of voter interference, including vote-buying, across party lines.”
Also, during the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, vote-buying and trading dominated the political landscape in the State. The BHC in its press statement on June 22nd, 2026, said: “Our observation team was concerned to see instances of voter-trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited. Vote-trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process. We call on all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice.”
Similarly, in a statement earlier signed by Auwal Musa, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the group warned that killings, political violence, voter intimidation and alleged vote-buying could undermine the credibility of the governorship election in Osun State. The organisation raised concerns over alleged vote-buying and other forms of voter inducement, describing the practice as a threat to the integrity of the election. CISLAC stated that the practice exploits economic hardship and voters’ vulnerability, reducing elections to financial transactions rather than a genuine expression of citizens’ choices.
It will be recalled that before the last governorship election in Ekiti State, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, had described vote-buying as one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s electoral process and directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders. Similar instructions were issued to the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) to help effect arrests. Vote-buying was also widely reported during the recent party primaries across the country a few months ago.
It is obvious that vote-buying is prohibited by the Electoral Act, 2025, as amended. Section 22 of the Act provides harsher penalties for electoral malpractices. It expands the criminalisation of buying and selling of votes, punishable by a fine of N5 million and an imprisonment term of two years, and a 10-year ban on contesting elections. Despite this stringent law, vote-buying has persisted over the years in Nigeria. It has become a popular political culture.
Another growing political culture is youth-led movements and digital activism, as youths use social media to mobilise, galvanise and sensitise the populace to demand good governance, accountability and transparency in the electoral process. One such movement is the Obedient Movement. In the recent election cycles in Nigeria, there have been increased youth-led movements and digital activism, contributing immensely to shaping processes, narratives and engagements in the polity.
Powered by platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram, young Nigerians have transformed online spaces into potent tools for voter mobilisation, engagement, real-time election monitoring, and systemic pushback against the old order in Nigeria’s politics. They effectively used peer-to-peer mobilisation, virtual town halls, and creative multimedia to drive millions of first-time voters to secure their Permanent Voter Cards during the just-concluded nationwide voter registration exercise organised by INEC.
Also, online activists and fact-checkers are using online spaces to debunk fake news and counter state or party-sponsored propaganda. This initiative is healthy for Nigeria’s democracy. They have tremendously helped in the fight against fake news, misinformation and disinformation, using online platforms.
Organisations like Yiaga Africa have similarly continued to encourage Nigerian youths to bridge the gap between virtual outrage and active grassroots participation in politics within their local wards and party structures.
To ensure that the culture of impunity is drastically reduced in the activities of political parties, it is recommended that party constitutions and rules must be obeyed by all and sundry, regardless of their political status. This will guarantee party supremacy.
Again, perpetrators of vote-buying and other electoral malfeasance must be made to face the full wrath of the law. This will serve as a deterrent to others. Government needs to strengthen the police force and other anti-corruption institutions to discharge their statutory responsibilities without any fear or favour. When elected leaders face legal consequences for their actions, public trust, accountability, as well as Nigeria’s political culture would improve significantly.
*Emejor and Tartsea-Anshase write from Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State.
