Some women who participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries have expressed anger after receiving as little as ₦600 and ₦1,000 to vote, saying the amount does not cover their transport costs.
In videos and accounts shared after the exercise, several women said they were mobilised to polling points and given cash ranging from ₦600 to ₦1,000 to vote for specific aspirants. “1k is too small for us, even our transport here is more than 1k,” one woman lamented. “They even paid some of us 600 to vote for APC.”
The complaints add to long-standing concerns about the monetisation of party primaries in Nigeria. Political analysts and civil society groups say vote-buying during primaries undermines internal democracy and locks out credible aspirants who cannot afford to “mobilise” voters with cash.
The issue is not new to the APC. In past years, party officials and observers have noted that delegates and grassroots members often receive payments during primaries, with amounts varying by location and the financial strength of aspirants. During the 2023 election cycle, reports emerged of delegates receiving ₦50,000 to ₦250,000 from presidential aspirants in some states. At the grassroots level, however, payments are often much smaller.
Women groups have repeatedly decried being used for mobilisation and then abandoned after elections. After the 2023 polls, APC women leaders from the 36 states said they received only “one bag of rice and one wrapper” despite sleeping in open spaces and taking risks to campaign for the party. They accused the party of neglecting the largest voting bloc at the grassroots.
The Federal Government has urged political parties not to scheme women out during primaries, warning that giving free nomination forms without real support is a “Greek Gift”. Women Affairs Minister Pauline Tallen said parties must show real commitment by giving women tickets and support, not just token gestures.
For many of the women who spoke after the recent primaries, the small cash payments feel like an insult given the cost of transport and the time spent away from work and family. “We are the ones doing the mobilising on the ground, but when it is time for reward, they forget us,” one of them said…See More
