NOT FOR SALE EP 3: THE UNSEEN FORCE

The story, which is part of the radio drama series Not for Sale, focuses on a clandestine effort to combat vote buying through community media and political mobilization.

The excerpt begins with the successful setup and testing of a secret radio transmitter by a small group of collaborators, Lotanna and Echezona. They celebrate their success, recognizing that they can now broadcast to the entire community. However, they acknowledge that operating the transmitter is a crime because they do not have an operational license. Their explicit purpose for engaging in this illegal activity is to support the campaign against vote buying, and they emphasize that the setup must remain secret. They decide to hide the transmitter on a roof, powering it using a solar panel, and plan to broadcast music, recorded local events, and civic education material.

The impact of the secret broadcast is almost immediate. Majie and wife discover that his previous public address to the community, in which he warned that taking money for votes means selling one's future, is being aired on the radio. He notes that although no journalists were present at the original event, someone must have secretly recorded it and sent it to a station. While he sees this as a positive development that helps spread the anti-vote buying message, he and others are puzzled by the source, noting that the station sounds close by and clearer than others, leading some to suspect it is the "voice of Umuoma".

Encouraged by the campaign gaining ground and the support of the community, the Utugbaraigwe agrees to run for election to the National Assembly. The clip then shifts to a meeting of the women of Umuoma, where Osodieme attempts to distribute campaign clothes and money. This act is immediately condemned by Aruude as "madness" and vote buying, stressing that the women must not sell their future.