Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has criticised the house of representatives for rejecting a proposal to criminalise vote-buying during party primaries.
On Thursday, the parliamentarians, during the clause-by-clause consideration of the report seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022, voted against a proposal to prohibit the inducement of voters during party primaries.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had hoped the lower legislative chamber would take a stance against the practice, which he described as a “cancer” that has long eroded the credibility of elections in the country.
The former presidential candidate said the decision of the green chamber subverts efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s electoral process.
“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 wrote.
“Credible elections cannot be built on corrupt foundations, and national progress cannot be achieved while inducement and bribery are legitimised in the democratic process.
“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.”
Obi said the culture of voter inducement has now trickled to town and village unions, clubs and associations, student union elections — who emulate fraudulent politicians.
“How long will we allow our society to be corrupted when the solution lies in addressing the roots of the problem?” he asked.
