Former Labour Party presidential candidate and ex-Anambra State governor Peter Obi has sharply criticised the House of Representatives for rejecting a provision that would have made vote-buying at party primaries a criminal offence. He described the decision as a major blow to Nigeria’s democratic progress and warned that it weakens efforts to build credible elections.
Obi took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, December 21, 2025, to express his disappointment with lawmakers amid ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022 by the House. He said many Nigerians had hoped that representatives would take a strong and decisive stand against what he called the “cancer of vote-buying.” Instead, he said the rejection of the criminalisation clause shows an unwillingness to confront the root cause of electoral corruption.
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In his post, Obi argued that simply targeting vote-buying during elections is not enough if inducement at party primaries is allowed to continue. He said addressing the problem only in later stages of the electoral process leaves the foundation weak. “Any effort to stop vote-buying must begin at the primaries,” he stressed, adding that ignoring the issue at its source undermines the entire reform effort.
He also warned that a system where votes can be bought and sold cannot be called a true democracy. According to Obi, when financial inducement shapes election outcomes, the people’s voice is replaced by transactional exchanges. He warned that democracy loses its meaning when votes are treated as commodities instead of being respected as a citizens’ fundamental right.
Obi rejected the idea that rejecting the criminalisation clause protects the nation. He called it protection of a “broken system” that tolerates bad practices rather than reforms them. He said Nigeria deserves better and urged Nigerians to stand for bold electoral reforms that uphold integrity.
The former governor also expressed alarm that the culture of vote-buying has spread beyond party politics into other areas of society. He said the practice is now seen in town unions, village associations, clubs, and even student elections, signalling a deeper erosion of democratic values. Obi said this trend must be confronted urgently and decisively.
Obi ended his message by insisting that the future of Nigeria’s democracy must not be for sale. He said only by tackling these vices at the earliest stage of the electoral process can the country hope to build a New Nigeria rooted in integrity, fairness, and genuine representation.