Political activist, Aisha Yesufu has lamented the rate of illiteracy level in Nigeria, saying it is alarming, such that it is threatening the country’s democracy.
In a Twitter Space organised by BizWatch Nigeria, which was monitored by Newsrand, the highly-revered activist said politicians have weaponised illiteracy to their advantage.
Her words: “We have a problem with education in Nigeria, and I often say that democracy without education is a disaster. Our literacy level is still very low, that’s why they can sell their votes easily. In most elections in Nigeria, we don’t get up to 50% turnout. Once every four years, the politicians see Nigerians as people of great importance and they put them on equal level, and that is when they are buying their votes.
“This coming election is the kind of election we have not had. What we have right now is a place where nobody is sure of what will happen. Even the politicians are scared.“
Yesufu also leveraged the platform to charge Nigerians to take advantage of the challenges under President Muhammadu Buhari‘s watch to elect the rightful candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
“There is something Buhari has done, which is to dissolution the people, everyone is almost giving up. But Buhari has a nuisance factor that Nigerians should key into. He has made it known that it doesn’t matter who you elect is from your area, or religion because he has not been able to secure his own state, which has been worsened by insecurity, and poverty. The north has become worse than it was before 2015.
“People are tired up to the fact that they are like -‘ just give us anyone aside from Buhari’… we can use that nuisance value he has created to let people understand more again that it is not a religion but having more competent people,” she added.