Pat Stevens/
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives over its decision to reject a proposal seeking to criminalise vote buying at party primaries, warning that the move entrenches corruption at the very foundation of Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a strongly worded post on X on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had hoped the House would “finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote buying”, only for that expectation to be dashed by lawmakers’ refusal to outlaw the practice at the primary election stage.
“Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote buying,” Obi wrote. “This practice has long undermined our democracy and tarnished our nation’s credibility. Unfortunately, that hope was quickly extinguished.”
The former Anambra State governor argued that by rejecting the clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025, lawmakers had chosen to preserve a flawed system rather than protect the country’s democratic future.
“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. “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 stressed that efforts to tackle vote buying would remain ineffective if they did not begin at the level of party primaries, which he described as the root of the problem.
“Any effort to stop vote buying must begin at the primaries,” he said. “Without addressing the problem at its roots, any measures taken later will lack the strength to endure.”
He warned that the consequences of normalising vote buying were already spreading beyond mainstream politics, describing a society increasingly shaped by transactional politics.
“A democracy where votes are bought is not a true democracy; it is a criminal marketplace,” Obi said. “Nigeria deserves better. We must prioritise reform. The future of our democracy must not be for sale.”
The Labour Party leader also expressed concern that the practice had filtered into everyday civic life, affecting organisations far removed from partisan politics.
“Disturbingly, the culture of vote buying has now trickled down even to town unions, village unions, clubs and associations, as well as student elections, emulating fraudulent politicians,” he wrote. “How long will we allow our society to be corrupted when the solution lies in addressing the roots of the problem?”
Obi concluded by linking meaningful reform to broader national renewal, insisting that change was still possible if political leaders showed courage.
“A New Nigeria is possible,” he said, “but only if we confront these practices boldly and insist that integrity begins at the very start of our electoral process.”
The House of Representatives’ decision has continued to generate sharp reactions online, with supporters and critics debating whether failing to criminalise vote buying at primaries undermines the credibility of future elections and weakens public trust in democratic institutions.
0Related posts:
Wild Goose Chase in Lightening, Thunder, and Rain
Cashless Nigeria: Why Emefiele May Lose the War – Femi Kusa …Musings on Buhari, Tinubu, Peter Obi, CBN
Tinubu Tells Leaders: It’s Time for Africa to Fulfill Destiny, Make Democracy Appealing
June 12: Tinubu Celebrates Heroes as Nigeria Marks 25 Years of Unbroken Democracy
Obasanjo Bombs Buhari, Osinbajo, INEC
The Role of Alumni Associations in Promoting Social Justice and Economic Development in a Democracy