 |
| Sen. Bruce |
The lawmaker representing Bayelsa-east at the National Assembly, Senator Ben
Murray-Bruce has charged Nigerians to advocate for a reduction in salaries for
political office holders, stressing that the huge salary of politicians was
responsible for electoral violence.
Reacting to a statement
credited to former Oyo governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in which the former
governor reportedly said he was happy to have lost in the last election because
of the dwindling allocation to states, Murray-Bruce said it was apparent that
money was the major reason politicians contest elections.
In a series of tweets posted on
his official Twitter handle on Saturday, the lawmaker famed for “common-sense
advocacy, said, “This (Alao-Akala’s statement) vindicates my argument that
money drives do-or-die politics. Close the treasury and do-or-die politics
would end.
“If you really want to bid
farewell to do-or-die politics, Nigerians must vehemently push for a
‘demonetization’ of politics at all levels. Money drives do-or-die elections.
Those states with dwindling federal allocations will soon experience a decline
in do-or-die politics.
“Do-or-die politics thrive
because the president and governors have too much power over the treasury of
their states. Remove that and it will end,” he tweeted.