Peter Obi, 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), said, “vote buying must be stopped at the roots”.
Obi’s statement is coming after Nigerians had their “hopes quickly extinguished” following the failure of the House of Representatives to take a “decisive stand against the cancer of vote buying” on Saturday 20 December, 2025.
The former Governor of Anambra State said, vote buying has for a long time “undermined” Nigeria’s democracy, as well as, defiled the country’s credibility.
Obi said, the House has made a choice to shield a “broken system” instead of defending the future of Nigeria when it “refused to criminalise vote buying”.
He continued, with “corrupt foundations”, it will be difficult for Nigeria to conduct “credible elections”, and with “inducement and bribery”, national progress cannot be attained.
Venting on X, Obi said: “Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote-buying. This practice has long undermined our democracy and tarnished our nation’s credibility. Unfortunately, that hope was quickly extinguished.
“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.
“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 opined, any effort to end vote buying must commence from the primaries; he added, any democracy where vote buying prevails is not “true” democracy.
Even student elections are now “emulating fraudulent politicians”, he said; and called for reform to be prioritised, adding, “Nigeria deserves better”.
Obi further vented: “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.
“A democracy where votes are bought is not a true democracy; it is a criminal marketplace. Nigeria deserves better. We must prioritise reform. The future of our democracy must not be for sale.
“Disturbingly, the culture of vote buying has now trickled down even to town union, village union, Clubs and associations, as well as even student elections, emulating fraudulent politicians.”
