THEY CHOSE A BROKEN SYSTEM” — Peter Obi BLASTS REPS OVER VOTE-BUYING DECISION

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the House of Representatives for rejecting a proposal to criminalise vote-buying during party primaries, describing the decision as a deliberate move to protect a deeply flawed political system.
The House took the decision on Thursday during a clause-by-clause consideration of a report seeking amendments to the Electoral Act 2022. Lawmakers voted against provisions aimed at prohibiting the inducement of delegates and voters at the party primary level — a practice widely condemned by civil society groups and electoral reform advocates.
Reacting in a statement posted on X on Sunday and monitored by Newstelly, Obi said Nigerians had hoped the lower chamber would seize the opportunity to address what he described as a “cancer” that has long undermined the credibility of elections in the country.
According to him, refusing to criminalise vote-buying at the primary stage weakens the entire democratic process, noting that party primaries form the foundation upon which general elections are built.
“By refusing to criminalise vote buying at the foundational stage of party primaries, the House has chosen to protect a broken system rather than safeguard the nation’s future,” Obi wrote.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that genuine electoral reform must begin within political parties, warning that tolerating inducement during primaries entrenches corruption, promotes poor leadership, and deepens public distrust in governance.
He added that without decisive action to curb vote-buying and monetisation of politics, efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s electoral system would remain largely ineffective.
As of the time of filing this report, the House of Representatives has not issued an official response to Obi’s remarks.