- Obi condemns the House for not addressing vote-buying at party primaries.
- He warns that democracy is weakened when votes are traded for money.
- The former governor calls for bold reforms to ensure electoral integrity.
- Obi highlights that vote-buying now affects schools, clubs, and community elections.
Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for failing to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries. Obi described the decision as a major setback for Nigeria’s democracy, warning that electoral integrity begins at the grassroots.
Peter Obi, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, argued that Nigerians had hoped lawmakers would confront the persistent issue of vote-buying decisively. In a post on X, Obi described vote-buying as “a cancer undermining credible elections in the country” and expressed disappointment that party primaries were excluded from criminalisation.
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“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,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that any reform to tackle vote-buying must start from the beginning of the electoral process. Without addressing inducements at the primary level, efforts at later stages are likely to fail.
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Obi further warned that vote-buying has seeped beyond politics into town unions, village associations, clubs, and student elections. He called on lawmakers to act boldly, insisting that Nigeria’s democracy must not be for sale.
“A democracy where votes are bought is not a true democracy; it is a criminal marketplace. Nigeria deserves better. We must prioritise reform,” he added.
Obi concluded that the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on confronting vote-buying from the start of party primaries, insisting that integrity should begin at the very roots of the electoral process.
