Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the House of Representatives for refusing to criminalise vote buying at the level of party primaries, warning that the decision undermines efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system.
In a statement shared on his X account on Sunday, Obi said many Nigerians had hoped the House would take a firm stand against what he described as the “cancer of vote buying,” a practice he argued has steadily eroded public trust in elections and weakened the nation’s democratic foundations. That hope, he said, was dashed when lawmakers declined to address the issue at what he called its most critical stage.
Obi maintained that credible elections cannot emerge from a process already compromised by inducement and bribery. According to him, any serious attempt to end vote buying must begin with party primaries, where candidates are first selected and political loyalty is often monetised. Without reforms at that level, he warned, measures introduced later in the electoral process would be ineffective and short-lived.
He further argued that tolerating vote buying has wider consequences beyond politics, noting that the practice is increasingly reflected in town unions, community associations and even student elections, where young people are beginning to mirror the conduct of established politicians. Obi described this trend as deeply troubling, saying it signals a broader moral decline that could shape future leadership in the country.
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Calling for urgent reform, the former Anambra State governor said a system where votes are bought and sold cannot be described as a true democracy, but rather as a marketplace driven by corruption. He urged lawmakers and political leaders to place national interest above partisan considerations and to ensure that integrity is embedded at the very start of the electoral process.
Obi concluded by reiterating his long-held message that meaningful national renewal remains achievable, but only if Nigeria confronts vote buying decisively and refuses to allow the future of its democracy to be traded for short-term political gains.