Peter Obi Faults Reps Over Failure to Criminalise Vote Buying at Primaries

Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives over its failure to criminalise vote buying during party primaries, describing the decision as a serious setback for Nigeria’s democratic development. Obi warned that tolerating inducement and bribery at the foundational stage of elections weakens the entire electoral process and undermines public confidence in democratic governance.

In a statement titled “Vote Buying Must Be Stopped at the Roots,” shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, @PeterObi, on Sunday, the former governor said Nigerians had hoped the House would take a firm stand against a practice he described as a “cancer” eating deep into the nation’s democracy. According to him, that expectation was dashed by the lawmakers’ refusal to take decisive legislative action.

Vote Buying and the Foundations of Nigeria’s Democracy

Obi argued that vote buying has long damaged the credibility of Nigeria’s elections, eroding trust in democratic institutions and leadership outcomes. He stressed that credible elections cannot emerge from systems where financial inducement and bribery are allowed to flourish unchecked, particularly at party primaries where candidates are first selected.

He maintained that by declining to criminalise vote buying at this early stage, the House of Representatives effectively chose to protect a flawed political structure rather than safeguard Nigeria’s democratic future. Obi warned that any reform efforts introduced only at later stages of elections would be weak and unsustainable if the problem is not addressed at its origin.

The former presidential candidate further described a democracy driven by purchased votes as a distortion of democratic ideals, saying such a system resembles a “criminal marketplace” rather than a true expression of the people’s will.

Obi Call for Reform and Institutional Integrity

According to Obi, national progress cannot be achieved in an environment where corruption is normalised within the electoral process. He insisted that any serious attempt to curb vote buying must begin with party primaries, where political ambition first intersects with democratic choice.

He expressed concern that the culture of vote buying has expanded beyond mainstream politics into town unions, village associations, clubs, and even student elections. Obi warned that this spread reflects a dangerous normalisation of electoral fraud, driven by the example set by politicians who engage in inducement without consequence.

Obi challenged Nigerians to reflect on how long society would continue to tolerate systemic corruption when, in his view, the solution lies in confronting the problem at its roots through firm legislation and ethical leadership.