Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives over its decision not to criminalise vote-buying during party primaries, describing the move as a major setback for Nigeria’s democratic process.
Obi expressed his concerns in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, reacting to the ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022, being considered by the House of Representatives. He said many Nigerians had expected the lawmakers to adopt tougher measures to curb vote-buying, which he identified as a critical challenge to the conduct of credible elections in the country.
According to the former Anambra State governor, the refusal to extend the criminalisation of vote-buying to party primaries weakens efforts to sanitise the electoral process from its foundation. He argued that political parties are the starting point of leadership selection and that allowing vote-buying at that stage entrenches corruption long before general elections are held.
Obi warned that tolerating such practices within party primaries undermines public trust in democracy and encourages the emergence of candidates who may lack popular support but rely on financial inducements to secure nominations.
He urged the National Assembly to reconsider its position and take decisive action against vote-buying at all levels of the electoral process, stressing that meaningful electoral reform is essential to strengthening democracy and ensuring that leadership reflects the true will of the people.
The House of Representatives is currently reviewing proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022, aimed at improving Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of future elections.
