Peter Obi Calls for Strong Measures to Curb Vote Buying at Grassroots

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called for decisive and robust efforts to curb vote buying at its roots, warning that the practice poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Obi made the call on Sunday in a post shared via his verified X handle, where he lamented the damage vote buying has inflicted on Nigerian society.

Describing vote buying as a cancer to national development, the former Anambra State governor said the practice has long undermined the country’s democratic process and eroded its credibility.

According to him, credible elections cannot be built on corrupt foundations, adding that meaningful national progress remains impossible as long as inducement and bribery are tolerated in the electoral system.

Obi expressed disappointment over the failure of the House of Representatives to take what he described as a firm stand against vote buying, particularly at the level of party primaries.

“Just yesterday, Nigerians hoped that the House of Representatives would finally take a decisive stand against the cancer of vote-buying. Unfortunately, that hope was quickly extinguished,” he said.

He criticised the lawmakers for refusing to criminalise vote buying at the foundational stage of party primaries, arguing that such a decision protects a broken system rather than securing the nation’s future.

“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,” Obi stated.

The former governor further warned that a system where votes are bought cannot be described as a true democracy, but rather a criminal marketplace.

“A democracy where votes are bought is not a true democracy. Nigeria deserves better. The future of our democracy must not be for sale,” he said.

Obi also expressed concern that the culture of vote buying has spread beyond political elections to town unions, clubs, associations and even student elections, mirroring what he described as the actions of fraudulent politicians.

He concluded by calling for bold reforms, insisting that integrity must begin from the earliest stages of the electoral process.

“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 added.