Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for failing to criminalise vote-buying during party primaries, describing the decision as a major blow to Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had expected lawmakers to take a strong and decisive stance against vote-buying, which he described as one of the biggest threats to credible elections in the country.
According to him, public expectations were dashed when the House, in its ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, declined to address inducements at the party primary stage.
“Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote-buying,” Obi said, reacting to the lawmakers’ decision.
He argued that by refusing to criminalise inducement at party primaries, the House had shown a reluctance to tackle the problem at its foundation.
“By failing to criminalise vote-buying at the foundational stage of party primaries, the House has chosen to shield a broken system instead of protecting the future of the nation,” he stated.
Obi warned that any attempt to curb vote-buying would be ineffective if the issue was not addressed from the start of the electoral process, stressing that democracy loses its value when votes are exchanged for money.
He also expressed concern that vote-buying had gradually spread beyond politics into other sectors of society.
Calling for far-reaching reforms, Obi insisted that Nigeria’s democratic future should not be sacrificed.
“Any serious effort to stop vote-buying must begin at the primaries. Without tackling it at the roots, measures taken later will lack durability.
“A democracy where votes are bought is not democracy at all; it is a criminal marketplace. Nigeria deserves better. Reform must be prioritised.
“Worryingly, vote-buying has now crept into town unions, village associations, clubs and even student elections.
“Our democracy must not be for sale. A new Nigeria is possible, but only if we boldly confront these practices and ensure that integrity defines our electoral process from the very beginning,” he said.
