INSINCERE AND DECEPTIVE PROMISES BY POLITICIANS: CITIZENS’ PERCEPTION OF ITS EFFECTS ON VOTING DECISION
Olayiwola A. Sojobi
Department of Statistics and Mathematics
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
E-mail: olayiwolasojobi@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This paper has investigated the effects of insincere and deceptive promises by politicians on citizens’ voting decision. It starts with a discourse on the promises usually made by politicians during electioneering campaign, the objective of such promises and the deceptiveness inherent in the promises. An empirical study was carried out whose main objectives are: to determine the purpose of making election promises; whether politicians make insincere and deceptive promises or not; if politicians and their parties keep their campaign promises once elected; and the impact that deceptive political promises have on the electorate. Field survey was conducted within four Nigerian cities, Abeokuta, Ago-Iwoye, Ibadan, and Ikeja. Cluster sampling technique was adopted in selecting distinct clusters- campuses, offices, households, and markets, from the population. In all, 300 people were selected for the research while a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The empirical study confirms the assertion that some promises made by politicians are bogus and/or mostly exaggerated, and insincerely made, with the main purpose of deceiving the electorate to vote for them. The study also shows that women are more influenced by insincere and deceptive political promises than men in their voting decisions. Also, less educated people are more influenced by deceptive political promises than the more educated people. The paper therefore recommends among others that: the public should hold politicians accountable for their promises and appropriate Federal and State laws should be promulgated to make this recommendation effective; politicians should make sincere, realistic, and feasible promises in their election campaign. The paper also recommends that we should make fulfilment of freely-made election promises legally binding on our politicians.
Keywords: Deception, insincerity, politician, promise, voting decision.