Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has openly faulted the House of Representatives for its refusal to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the move as a serious blow to Nigeria’s democratic development.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday, the ex-governor of Anambra State said many Nigerians had been hopeful that lawmakers would finally take a firm and principled position against vote-buying, which he described as one of the biggest threats to credible elections in the country.
According to Obi, those expectations were cut short when the House chose not to address inducement and vote-buying during party primaries while amending the Electoral Act, 2022. He said the refusal showed a lack of willingness to tackle the problem at its very foundation.
“Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote-buying,” Obi said while reacting to the ongoing legislative review.
He argued that the decision not to criminalise inducement at the primary election stage suggested that lawmakers preferred to preserve a flawed system rather than protect the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
“By refusing to criminalise vote buying at the foundational stage of party primaries, the House has chosen to protect a broken system rather than safeguard the nation’s future,” he said.
Obi warned that any attempt to curb vote-buying would remain ineffective if the issue was not confronted from the earliest stages of the electoral process. He stressed that democracy loses its value and legitimacy when votes are exchanged for money, turning elections into transactions rather than expressions of the people’s will.
He further expressed concern that vote-buying is no longer limited to political contests but has gradually spread into other parts of society, including local unions, social organisations and even student elections.
Calling for decisive reforms, Obi insisted that Nigeria’s democratic journey must not be sacrificed for short-term political interests and convenience.
“Any effort to stop vote buying must begin at the primaries. Without addressing the problem at its roots, any measures taken later will lack the strength to endure.
“A democracy where votes are bought is not a true democracy; it is a criminal marketplace. Nigeria deserves better. We must prioritise reform.
“Disturbingly, the culture of vote buying has now trickled down even to town unions, village unions, clubs and associations, as well as student elections.
“The future of our democracy must not be for sale. A new Nigeria is possible, but only if we confront these practices boldly and insist that integrity begins at the very start of our electoral process,” he said.
What you should know
Peter Obi’s criticism highlights growing concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly the failure to address vote-buying at party primaries.
He argues that ignoring inducement at this early stage undermines all later reforms and weakens democracy itself. By linking vote-buying to a wider societal decline, Obi warns that the practice is becoming normalised beyond politics.
His remarks place pressure on lawmakers to revisit the Electoral Act amendments and adopt reforms that protect the credibility of elections from the ground up.
