Our Reporter, Abuja
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for refusing to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the decision as a setback to Nigeria’s democratic reform efforts.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had hoped the House would take a decisive stand against what he called the “cancer of vote-buying,” but lamented that such expectations were dashed by the lawmakers’ action.
According to him, by declining to outlaw vote-buying at its foundational stage, the House had chosen to “protect a broken system rather than safeguard the nation’s future.”
“Credible elections cannot be built on corrupt foundations, and national progress cannot be achieved while inducement and bribery are legitimised in the democratic process,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor argued that any meaningful attempt to eliminate vote-buying must begin at party primaries, where candidates first emerge, warning that efforts targeted only at general elections would be ineffective.
“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,” he stated.
Obi further described a system where votes are traded for money or inducements as a distortion of democracy, insisting that such a process amounts to “a criminal marketplace” rather than a true democratic order.
He also expressed concern that the practice had spread beyond mainstream politics, noting that vote-buying culture was now evident in town unions, village associations, clubs and even student elections, as younger groups increasingly emulate what he termed “fraudulent politicians.”
“How long will we allow our society to be corrupted when the solution lies in addressing the roots of the problem?” he asked.
Obi urged Nigerians and their representatives to prioritise electoral reform and insist on integrity from the very beginning of the political process, stressing that the future of the country’s 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,” Obi stated.
