We Need You Poor So That We Can Rule: The Voice of the Political Manipulator
We Need You Poor So That We Can Rule: The Voice of the Political Manipulator is a 2025 book by Nigerian development economist and writer Herbert Gomagallah Daniel. Published by Rex Productions, the book examines the relationship between poverty, political power and electoral politics, with a particular focus on the use of economic hardship as a means of influencing political behaviour and maintaining political control.
Background
The book examines poverty as a multidimensional condition and considers its relationship with education, employment, political participation and access to resources. It argues that economic deprivation can limit citizens' ability to participate effectively in political and social decision-making and can create conditions in which political elites exert greater influence over vulnerable populations.
The book uses satire and political commentary to examine the relationship between poverty and political manipulation. In a 2025 episode of the Joey Off-Air Podcast, Daniel discussed the inspiration for using satire to address poverty and political manipulation and described the social and political change he hoped the book would encourage.
Themes
Poverty and political power
A central theme of the book is the relationship between economic deprivation and political power. It argues that poverty can make citizens more dependent on political elites and can reduce their capacity to engage in long-term political and social decision-making.
The book also examines the relationship between economic inequality and access to political resources, arguing that limited access to education, employment and essential services can reinforce existing structures of political influence.
Elections and political participation
The book examines electoral politics and the relationship between poverty and political behaviour. It discusses the use of immediate material incentives, including vote buying, to influence economically vulnerable voters and argues that such practices can weaken independent political participation.
Daniel has also discussed these themes outside the book. In an interview with The Punch, he discussed poverty and election manipulation and urged voters to challenge the cycle of poverty associated with political manipulation.
Education and civic participation
The book considers education and access to knowledge as factors affecting citizens' ability to understand political systems and participate in public decision-making. It advocates greater access to education, employment and economic opportunities as ways of strengthening civic participation and reducing political dependence.
Reception
The book received extended discussion in an April 2026 article published by Qiraat African, which examined its treatment of poverty, political manipulation, political participation and the relationship between economic deprivation and elite power.
The book was also the subject of a dedicated episode of the Joey Off-Air Podcast in July 2025. The episode, titled "Exposing the Voice of the Political Manipulator", featured Daniel discussing the book's themes, its use of satire and the political systems he argues can sustain poverty.
The Joey Off-Air website subsequently published an article titled "The Politics of Poverty: Herbert Daniel Gomagallah on Why Nigeria's ...", which further discusses the book and its argument concerning the relationship between poverty and political power.
See also
- Political satire
- Poverty in Nigeria
- Vote buying
- Politics of Nigeria