Not Criminalising Vote-Buying A Disservice To Democracy — Peter Obi
Abuja, Nigeria — Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 general election, has delivered a sharp rebuke to the House of Representatives for its recent decision not to criminalise vote-buying during political party primaries — a move he says undermines the very foundation of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Obi made his concerns public in a statement shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, December 21, 2025, titled “Vote Buying Must Be Stopped at the Roots.” The statement was posted in response to developments around amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022, currently before the National Assembly.
Reacting to lawmakers’ refusal to criminalise inducement and bribery at the primary election stage, Obi argued that the rejection of such a clause sends a worrying signal about the commitment of Nigeria’s legislature to strengthening democratic integrity.
“Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote-buying,” Obi wrote, lamenting that the hope for reform was “quickly extinguished” when the proposed sanctions were voted down.
According to the former Labour Party presidential flag-bearer, the exclusion of criminal penalties for vote-buying at party primaries essentially protects a broken system rather than safeguarding the nation’s future. He stressed that credible elections cannot be built on corrupt foundations and that national progress is hampered when inducement and bribery are legitimised in the democratic process.
Obi underscored the importance of addressing electoral malpractice at the earliest stage of the process — party 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.
He described a democracy where votes are bought as not a true democracy but a “criminal marketplace,” warning that such practices erode public trust and jeopardise the country’s democratic trajectory.
Beyond national elections, Obi expressed concern that the culture of vote-buying has permeated grassroots and community levels, including town unions, village associations, clubs, and even student elections — trends he believes reflect deeper systemic decay. “How long will we allow our society to be corrupted when the solution lies in addressing the roots of the problem?” he asked.
With the 2027 general elections looming, Obi’s intervention comes at a critical juncture for Nigeria’s political class. He urged lawmakers, political stakeholders, and civil society to prioritise electoral reforms that restore integrity to the democratic process, emphasising that Nigeria’s future must not be for sale.
“A New Nigeria is possible, but only if we confront these practices boldly and insist that integrity begins at the very start of our electoral process,” he concluded.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives, during a clause-by-clause review of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2025, approved stiffer penalties for some electoral offences. They raised fines for forgery of nomination papers and election result sheets and introduced penalties for improper use of voters’ cards. However, a proposed two-year jail term for individuals who induce delegates financially or materially to influence party primaries was rejected, prompting widespread criticism from civil society and political actors alike
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