By Peace Udugba
The National Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, has identified vote buying as one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s democracy, warning voters against exchanging their future for immediate financial inducement.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Dantalle urged the electorate to reject electoral inducement at all levels.
“Elect who you want. Reject a peanut or that evil called vote buying,” he said, adding controversially, “If they give you and you are forced to take, take, but do what is right.”
His remarks formed part of a broader discussion on governance, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms, and Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Dantalle said he sympathises with the President, describing his reform efforts as well-intentioned but constrained by systemic weaknesses.
He noted that the removal of fuel subsidy was aimed at curbing corruption and redirecting public funds toward development.
“When the president came on board, the first thing he did was to remove our oil subsidies… the idea was to reinvest that money into infrastructure,” he said.
However, he argued that the expected benefits have not yet translated into improved living conditions for citizens.
Dantalle stressed that governance should be judged by its impact on the people rather than fiscal indicators alone, adding that Nigerians are still facing severe economic hardship.
He also referenced sociological theory to explain rising criminality, linking it to structural strain within society and describing how economic pressure can push individuals toward crime.
While acknowledging ongoing infrastructure projects, he said the economic hardship facing ordinary Nigerians remains severe.
“I commend the president and the Minister of Works… but the average life of Nigerians is beyond the reach of the common man,” he said.
The APM chairman said worsening economic conditions are contributing to insecurity across the country.
He also rejected the idea of reversing key reforms if his party comes to power, insisting instead on what he called a “reset” of Nigeria.
According to him, the reset agenda involves re-evaluating national values, governance systems, and institutional culture rather than simply changing policies.
He criticized corruption, inequality before the law, and what he described as the normalization of illicit wealth.
Dantalle also faulted perceived disparities in justice administration and called for stronger national identity and patriotism, warning against mass migration aspirations among young Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to focus on domestic solutions and promote national ownership of the country.
“We must domesticate the solution to our problem,” he said.
He further called for inclusive governance and an end to “winner-takes-all” politics, advocating greater political integration after elections.
During the interactive session, callers raised concerns about insecurity and governance, with some calling for opposition unity.
Responding, Dantalle reiterated his confidence in the APM’s presidential candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, describing him as a pragmatic and people-oriented leader.
He said Makinde has demonstrated measurable progress in Oyo State and could replicate similar performance nationally.
Dantalle added that the APM ideology is rooted in egalitarian principles and a “Nigeria first” philosophy, insisting that exclusion and neglect are major drivers of insecurity.
He concluded that Nigeria’s future depends on restoring citizens’ trust in the state through a broad national reset agenda aimed at rebuilding institutions and strengthening democracy.
