Popular Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, also known as Falz, has said he will support any politician he can trust 100 per cent.
He said he has never publicly backed any politician or political party, adding that his advocacy has always been aimed at encouraging Nigerians to actively participate in elections.
The entertainer reportedly made the clarification during a talk on the need for greater civic participation leading up to future elections.
Falz said he had always told Nigerians to register, collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote, but had never openly campaigned or endorsed any politician or political party.
“His main concern,” he said, “is to make sure that Nigerians participate in the democratic process and make their choice known through the ballot box.
“Just to clarify: I have not, at any time in 2023 or any other time, publicly endorsed any politician or political party. “All I’ve been doing is encourage people to go and vote and make their intentions known,” he said.
The rapper said his position has always been driven by his desire for Nigeria to have a stronger democracy through credible elections and increased participation of voters.
He said Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their leaders without any manipulation or interference.
“What I am clamouring for is a free and fair democratic process, that people should be allowed to express their intentions and go out and vote. “These I think are very important to strengthen our democracy in this country,” he added.
Over the years, Falz has been outspoken on social and political issues in Nigeria particularly on issues concerning good governance, accountability, human rights and electoral participation.
But he said he had deliberately stayed away from publicly associating himself with any politician because he was concerned about the country’s political system.
‘Same Crop Of People Keep Shuffling’
Falz said he has been very careful because in his opinion, the political class in Nigeria has been recycling itself, with mostly the same set of people moving from one political position to another.
He said this had made it impossible for him to publicly endorse any politician unless he was fully convinced that the person could bring meaningful change.
“Obviously, I have never really stuck my neck out for any politician. We’re kind of going in circles and it’s like the same group of people we keep swapping in and out … it’s almost like the same crop of people.” “It is hard, at the end of the day, to sit down anywhere and say ‘I can vouch for a Nigerian politician in 2026,’” he said.
However, the rapper hasn’t ruled out the possibility of endorsing a candidate in the future.
He said he might change his mind if he met a politician whose character, competence and vision persuaded him beyond doubt.
“If I see someone that I feel 100 per cent is the one, maybe I would. But as it is, I’m just trying to be careful. “I’m trying not to go out on a limb for anybody,” he added.
Read Also: Nigerian Senate Advances Insurance Sector With NAICOM Re-Enactment Bill
Falz also disagreed with the notion held by some Nigerians that their votes do not count in elections.
The huge amount of money politicians allegedly spent to influence voters showed the importance of votes to politicians, he said.
“If it didn’t matter, you wouldn’t have vote-buying if it didn’t matter,” he said.
The rapper urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to remain confident in the electoral process and not allow frustration to discourage them from voting.
More engagement, he said, could make it harder for politicians to rig elections.
The activist also urged the full implementation of live electronic transmission of election results to improve transparency and public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He asked why the country has not fully embraced real time transmission of results despite the huge sum of money pumped into conducting elections.
Technology should be used to minimize possibilities of manipulation and make the electoral process more transparent, he said.
Falz said the experience of the 2023 elections should serve as a lesson for Nigerians in future elections.
He said the focus should be on the need for a substantially higher voter participation, noting that a massive turnout at the polling units could make electoral fraud more difficult.
“if there is an overwhelming majority, it would be very difficult for them to cheat that,” the rapper said.
