Falz: Politicians Fear Your Vote Because It Counts

Rapper, actor and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has called on Nigerians to reject political narratives that their votes do not count, insisting that citizens have the power to determine election outcomes through active participation.

Speaking on issues surrounding Nigeria’s democracy and electoral process with Charles Aniagolu of Arise TV on Tuesday, Falz argued that politicians deliberately try to convince voters that their votes are meaningless because they understand the influence of the electorate.

“If it didn’t matter, they would not be doing everything within their power to try and influence results. If votes didn’t matter, there would not be vote buying. If there is an overwhelming majority of people moving in a certain direction, it will be impossible to cheat that,” he said.

The entertainer also clarified that despite his consistent advocacy for civic engagement, he has never publicly endorsed any political party or candidate, including during the 2023 general elections.

“I have actively encouraged people to go out and vote. I clamour for a free and fair democratic process. I haven’t stuck out my neck for any politician for obvious reasons,” he stated.

Falz further called for reforms to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s elections, advocating the real-time electronic transmission of election results.

According to him, with the enormous resources budgeted for elections, there should be no excuse for failing to deploy technology that enhances transparency.

“With the trillion budget they are using to run this election, they can make it happen. I don’t know what this money is going into if we can’t make sure everything is on point,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians to become more active in holding leaders accountable, saying citizens must go beyond criticising those in power and make effective use of their votes.

“A lot of times we speak truth to power and point fingers, but we have to challenge ourselves also. The best way to hold people accountable is at the ballot. The most important people for this are first-time voters,” Falz said.