“When they bring money, it’s your money. Collect it, spend it, but vote your heart” — Makinde

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Governor Seyi Makinde, has urged Nigerians to collect money offered to them by politicians during campaigns but vote according to their conscience, insisting that financial inducements should not determine electoral choices.

The advice was delivered on Saturday during his presidential campaign flag-off in Bauchi State, where he addressed supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE ADVICE

Makinde did not mince words.”When they bring money, it’s your money. Collect it, spend it, but vote your heart, and I know your heart is with us and with APM,” he told the gathering.

He urged voters not to allow financial inducements to influence their electoral choices, insisting that accepting money from politicians should not translate into voting against their conscience.

“Don’t bother at all. When they bring money, it is your money, collect it, but vote your heart and I know your heart is with us and APM,” he said.

THE RESET AGENDA

Makinde used the occasion to pitch his “Reset Nigeria” agenda, calling on Nigerians dissatisfied with the state of the country to support his movement.

“If you are not happy with the way things are in our country today, if you are not happy that there is not enough inclusivity, if you are not happy that your government cannot tell you the truth, they cannot handle our issues with sincerity, then there is only one party for us and the party is to reset Nigeria. So, I am asking you today to be a resetter,” he said.

He described his supporters as “Resetters” and said the party was committed to respecting communities, strengthening the country’s security architecture, and creating a socio-political environment that would enable more Nigerians to participate meaningfully in governance.

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THE SUPPORT

The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said the politics of lies, deceit and hypocrisy was threatening democracy in Nigeria.

He said the APM’s reset agenda was designed to tackle these challenges and ensure that anyone elected into government would be committed to honesty and sincerity.

The party’s national leader and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the APM’s agenda had solutions to Nigeria’s problems.

Mohammed said he was supporting Makinde’s presidential ambition because the governor had demonstrated that he was hardworking and committed to carrying everyone along.

WHY IT MATTERS

Makinde’s advice is a recognition of a reality that Nigerian politicians rarely acknowledge: vote-buying is widespread, and voters often accept money from candidates they have no intention of supporting.

By telling Nigerians to collect the money and vote their conscience, Makinde is attempting to neutralise the financial advantage of the ruling party.

He is saying: take their money, but do not give them your vote.

Whether Nigerians will listen is another matter. But Makinde has made his position clear. The money is yours. The vote is yours. And the choice is yours. ValidViewNetwork reports.