About the Author: Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic, often called a founding voice of modern African literature.

  • His novels focus on the traditions of Igbo (Ibo) society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of Western and traditional African values during and after the colonial era.
  • His style draws heavily on the Igbo oral tradition. He mixes plain narration with folk stories, proverbs and oratory. That is why "The Voter" is full of African proverbs.
  • Some of his works are Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, No Longer at Ease, A Man of the People and Girls at War. The textbook suggests A Man of the People for further reading, since it is also a satire on post-colonial politics.

The story is set in Umuofia, a fictional Igbo village in Nigeria, at election time. It is a satire on how money corrupts voters, campaigners and the whole electoral process in a young democracy.

[Exam Tip] — Achebe is Nigerian. The story's language includes Nigerian Pidgin ("Das all", "Abi na pickin im de born?") and Ibo proverbs.

Summary, Part 1: Roof and Marcus Ibe

Rufus Okeke, called Roof, is a popular young man in Umuofia. The villagers are grateful that, unlike most young men, he has not abandoned the village for work in the towns. He spent two years as a bicycle repairer's apprentice in Port Harcourt, then gave up a bright future to return and "guide" his people.

The whole village belongs to the People's Alliance Party (PAP). Its most famous son, Chief the Honourable Marcus Ibe, is Minister of Culture in the outgoing government, which is almost certain to return. Opposing him is like a "fly trying to move a dunghill". Roof works for Marcus and has become an expert election campaigner.

Marcus's rise. Only recently Marcus was a not-too-successful mission school teacher. When politics came to the village he wisely joined, some said just in time to escape dismissal over a female teacher's complaint. Now he has chieftaincy titles, an honorary doctorate, two long cars and the biggest house in the area, "Umuofia Mansions". He killed five bulls and countless goats for the feast when the Archbishop opened it. He even installed a private electricity plant for his house, though the village has neither running water nor electricity.

The villagers learn. Over five years they have seen how quickly politics brings wealth and honours. They voted for Marcus free of charge last time. After the feast they decide they had "underrated the power of the ballot paper" and will not do so again.

Summary, Part 2: Buying Votes

Marcus is prepared. He draws five months' salary in advance, changes a few hundred pounds into shining shillings, and gives his campaign boys little jute bags of coins. By day he makes speeches; by night his men carry on a whispering campaign. Roof is the most trusted of them.

At Ogbuefi Ezenwa's house. Roof meets five elders by the light of an old hurricane lamp. Two shillings lie on the floor before each man. Roof reminds them that PAP will rule anyway and has promised pipe-borne water. Ezenwa says they will all vote for Marcus, and their wives too: "Who would leave an ozo feast and go to a poor ritual meal?" But two shillings is "shameful". Marcus is a great man now, and "we have climbed the iroko tree today and would be foolish not to take down all the firewood we need."

Roof agrees, since he too has been "taking down firewood": he got a rich robe from Marcus, drank his beer, and won a land case after being chauffeur-driven to the site. He gives each elder one more shilling, then another, and pretends to be angry: "I am through… Go cast your paper for the enemy if you like!" The elders calm him and, without loss of dignity, pick up the money.

Summary, Part 3: The Bribe and the Torn Ballot

The POP visit. The opposition, the Progressive Organization Party (POP), was formed by the tribes down the coast to save themselves from "total political, cultural, social and religious annihilation". It has no chance here but spends freely. The night before the election, the POP campaign leader visits Roof, places five pounds on the floor and says, "We want your vote." Roof closes the door, staring at the red notes with the picture of a cocoa farmer. He protests weakly that he works for Marcus but agrees.

The visitors then uncover an iyi (a fearsome charm in a clay pot with feathers) from Mbanta, and Roof swears: "I will cast my paper for Maduka; if not this iyi take note." He reasons that one secret vote cannot harm Marcus's certain victory.

Election day. Marcus hires a highlife band from Umuru and sits smiling in his enormous green car while villagers shake his hand and say "Corngrass!" (congrats). Roof tells the women that PAP's sign is the motor-car; POP's sign, a man's head, is "for those whose heads are not correct". Marcus, a stickler for detail, sends his campaign boys to vote one at a time, and says, "Roof, you had better go first."

Inside the booth. Roof cannot bring himself to betray Marcus, yet he cannot return the five pounds, and he has sworn on the iyi. Hearing the policeman ask what he is doing ("Abi na pickin im de born?"), he acts: he tears the ballot paper in two, drops one half in each box, first in Maduka's box, saying aloud "I vote for Maduka." His thumb is marked with indelible ink and he walks out jauntily.

Central Idea

"The Voter" is a satire on corruption in a young democracy. Voting, the one day "when the people exercise power", has turned into a market.

  • Voters sell their votes and bargain for more, using proverbs to make greed sound like wisdom.
  • Politicians like Marcus win power, grow rich, and then buy the votes back with small change.
  • Campaigners like Roof serve whoever pays, and justify it cleverly.
  • The opposition does the same thing on a bigger scale: pounds instead of shillings.

Roof's torn ballot is comic but empty. He tries to stay "loyal" to both sides and satisfies neither, and his vote is wasted. The story shows that the lure of money is stronger than loyalty and ethics, and that democracy needs honest voters, not just regular elections.

[Exam Tip] — 2025 asked a 4-mark question: "The lure of money is greater than loyalty and ethics. Substantiate with reference to 'The Voter'." It also asked for the sequence of Marcus's rise (teacher, then politics, then Minister).