The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for failing to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the decision as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, the former Anambra State governor said Nigerians had hoped the lawmakers would take a firm stand against vote-buying.
Describing vote-buying as a major problem undermining credible elections in the country, Obi said the expectation was dashed when the House declined to address inducements 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,” Obi said while reacting to the ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022, by the House of Representatives.
He argued that the lower chamber’s decision not to criminalise inducement at party primaries showed that lawmakers were unwilling to confront the root of the problem.
