Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has criticised the House of Representatives for declining to criminalise vote buying during party primaries, warning that the move weakens Nigeria’s democratic process.
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The reaction followed ongoing debates in Abuja over amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, where lawmakers reviewed penalties for electoral offences but left out sanctions for inducement at the primary election stage.
Obi said the decision sends a troubling signal at a time when Nigerians expect stronger laws to protect elections, arguing that party primaries are where manipulation often begins and spreads into the wider electoral system.
He explained that tackling vote buying only during general elections ignores the root of the problem, noting that flawed primaries often produce candidates who rely on money rather than public trust to win.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
The former Anambra governor also expressed concern that vote trading has grown beyond politics, creeping into student elections, community groups, and social organisations, which he said reflects a wider moral decline.
While the House approved tougher fines and jail terms for offences like forgery and misuse of voter cards, it rejected proposals to punish inducement of delegates at primaries, a move Obi described as a missed chance to protect the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
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