Yusuf Usman, former chairman of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has condemned the deployment of 30,000 security personnel to Osun State during its gubernatorial election.
He said the move was unnecessary and an attempt to intimidate voters.
Usman reportedly shared his thoughts while speaking on DCL’s show on Wednesday.
He urged the electorate to take a cue from the recent political developments in Osun State and appreciate the power of their votes.
He said the people of Osun State were not deterred by the security presence and still exercised their right to vote.
“Even with that, the people of Osun were not intimidated by the presence of security agents in their state, they were there to assist them to vote.
“They sent over 30,000 security agents to Osun State to intimidate the people. 30,000. “If you send 30,000 to Zamfara, all the insecurity in Zamfara will be gone,” Usman said.
He wondered how it was possible to deploy so many security personnel for an election, when insecurity still ravages parts of northern Nigeria.
“But no, the people, the lives of our people, are not as important as you fixing the ballot election,” he said.
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The former NHIS boss also accused politicians of spending billions of public money to influence voters in elections.
“Number two is they buy votes. They spend billions of our money, people’s money, to buy votes. “People do get the money, yes,” he said.
Usman told voters in the north to weigh the short-term advantages proffered during elections against the long-term effects of their political choices.
“And our voters in the north, the lesson you need to learn from Osun is that in Osun they gave them ₦30,000, ₦40,000, ₦50,000, but here in the north they give you ₦500 and noodles to grab your lives for the next four years,” he said.
Usman said northern voters should know they have the power to decide who governs them through the ballot.
We have a lot to learn in the north to tell you that we have power. This is the government we vote in. We can pick who we want to pick,” he said.
He also criticized the persistence of the use of religious arguments to mobilize voters, especially appeals for endorsement of a Muslim-Muslim political ticket.
“And now they are bringing in these religious leaders back to you again to tell you to vote Muslim-Muslim, which I said from the beginning is nothing but a scam. “It has nothing to do with Islam,” he said.
He said religious identity should not be a replacement for good governance and tackling the challenges facing Nigerians.
“It is just to get votes for him. And what happened in the last 4 years? “What happened to the Muslims in the north?” he asked.
