Why I’ve never openly endorsed any politician or political party — Falz

Popular Nigerian rapper and activist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has said he has never publicly endorsed any politician or political party, explaining that he remains cautious about lending his support to political figures.

Speaking on the need for greater civic participation ahead of future elections, Falz said his advocacy has always centred on encouraging Nigerians to vote rather than campaigning for any candidate.

“Just a point of correction: I’ve never, in 2023 or at any point, openly supported any politician or political party. I’ve only actively encouraged people to go out to vote and get their intentions known,” he said.

The entertainer explained that his priority is to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy by promoting credible elections and higher voter participation.

“What I clamor for is a free and fair democratic process, that people let their intentions be known, and that people go out to vote. These, I think, are very important to strengthen our democracy in this country,” he said.

Falz added that he had deliberately avoided endorsing politicians because he believes the country’s political class has largely remained unchanged over the years.

“I’ve never actually stuck out my neck for any politician for obvious reasons. We’ve been going in cycles, and it just seems like almost the same crop of people we keep on reshuffling. At the end of the day, it’s tough to even sit anywhere and vouch for a Nigerian politician in 2026,” he said.

He, however, noted that he could reconsider his position if he found a candidate he believed in completely.

“If I see someone that I feel 100 per cent is the one, maybe I would. But as it stands, I’m just trying to be cautious. I’m trying not to outrightly stick out my neck for anyone,” he added.

Falz also dismissed the notion that votes do not count, arguing that politicians would not spend money buying votes if elections were inconsequential.

“If it didn’t matter, there wouldn’t be vote-buying if it didn’t matter,” he said, urging Nigerians, particularly young people, to reject voter apathy.

The rapper further advocated the live electronic transmission of election results, saying it would improve transparency and credibility. He questioned why the electoral system had yet to fully adopt real-time result transmission despite the huge sums budgeted for elections.

According to him, the key lesson from the 2023 elections is the need for a much higher voter turnout, insisting that “if there is an overwhelming majority, it would be incredibly difficult for them to cheat that.”

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