Civil society organisations have raised concerns over the huge amounts expended on electioneering campaign by political parties in Nigeria in view of the falling oil price.

According to them, the role that money played during party primaries held last month was an indication that many politicians were ready to buy votes during the elections.

The groups’ concerns came on Saturday just as politicians are campaigning for votes from the electorate ahead of the general elections that will begin in few weeks time.

It comes once in four years, but huge amounts of money get expended on campaigns, something the groups condemned at a time that the price of crude, the major source of the nation’s revenue, is witnessing a sustained decline.

Politicians gather crowds as they traverse the length and breadth of the country, promising a better life for the populace.

In all these, money changes hands and that has become a source of concern to civil society groups.

The Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr Eze Onyekpere, stressed that such trend would result in the political leader seeking to enrich themselves when they assume office before considering the provision of basic amenities for the common man.

The leading political parties, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have raised huge sums of money from their members and supporters to fund their campaigns.

The PDP had raised over 20 billion Naira in a major fundraising event to fund its campaign activities while the presidential candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, had raised 44 million Naira from supporters to fund its presidential campaign ahead of the February 14 election.

Beyond the credibility of the electoral process, the Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo, also insisted that expending huge money on campaign was an act that threatens Nigeria’s democracy.

Existing Nigerian laws do not regulate the campaign expenditures of candidates, seeking electoral positions.

However, the laws require the Independent National Electoral Commission to exercise control over political campaign expenditures.

Nigerians will be hoping that the commission takes the necessary action to ensure that the present trend does not affect the nation’s democracy, as the groups have feared.