Ahead of the 2027 elections, Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised lawmakers for failing to criminalise vote-buying at party primaries, calling it a blow to Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a post on X on Sunday, the former governor said many Nigerians had hoped the House of Representatives would take a firm stand against what he described as the “cancer of vote-buying”, which continues to undermine the country’s democracy. Obi said the refusal to criminalise vote-buying at party primaries effectively protects a broken political system rather than safeguarding Nigeria’s 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 wrote.
Obi stressed that credible elections cannot emerge from corrupt foundations, adding that efforts to end vote-buying must begin at the primaries, where candidates are first selected.
“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,” he said.
The former governor warned that a democracy driven by inducement and bribery cannot deliver national progress, describing a system where votes are bought and sold as a “criminal marketplace” rather than true democracy.
“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 said.
Obi urged lawmakers and political stakeholders to prioritise electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that Nigeria’s democratic future must not be compromised.
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