Former Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the House of Representatives’ decision not to penalize vote-buying in party primaries, describing the move as a setback for Nigeria’s democratic reform efforts.
Obi stated that Nigerians expected lawmakers to take a firm stance against vote-buying, a practice he described as a serious threat to the credibility of elections and national development. According to him, refusing to address the issue in the primaries amounts to protecting a flawed system that continues to undermine democratic values.
He argued that elections cannot be credible if corruption is entrenched at the very foundation of the electoral process. Obi maintained that any serious attempt to end vote-buying must begin with the party primaries, where candidates are first selected.
The former governor of Anambra State warned that addressing vote-buying only during general elections is ineffective, as inducement and bribery often determine the results long before voters go to the polls. He described a vote-buying system as a distortion of democracy rather than a true representation of the popular will.
Obi also expressed concern about the spread of vote-buying practices beyond formal politics. He noted that similar behaviors are increasingly evident in municipal unions, village associations, clubs, and even student elections, reflecting what he described as the dangerous influence of unethical political practices on society.
He demanded urgent electoral reforms, insisting that integrity must be guaranteed from the earliest stages of the political process. Obi asserted that Nigeria’s democratic future must not be compromised by practices that prioritize money over merit and accountability.
In his opinion, a meaningful national renewal is only possible if the country directly addresses vote buying and ensures that democratic values are defended from the ground up.
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