Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the widespread practice of vote-buying in Nigeria, describing it as a deliberate investment in corruption that undermines democracy and robs citizens of development. In a statement shared on his official X handle on Tuesday, the former Anambra State Governor argued that politicians who engage in vote-buying do so not out of goodwill but as a strategy to gain unrestricted access to public resources.
Obi warned that those who purchase votes are effectively “buying a licence to plunder,” stressing that funds meant for schools, hospitals, roads, and jobs end up diverted into private pockets once such politicians assume office. According to him, leaders who indulge in the practice are not serving the people but looting the system, thereby denying Nigerians dignity, progress, and in some cases, even life. He maintained that vote-buying represents one of the gravest dangers facing Nigeria’s democracy today.
The former candidate further challenged the prevailing perception that voters who sell their ballots are mere victims of political manipulation. He asserted that such individuals are complicit in their own disempowerment, as exchanging votes for money or material gain equates to mortgaging the future for temporary relief. “When you sell your vote, you are selling away the schools your children deserve, the hospitals that should save lives, and the jobs that could lift families out of poverty,” he cautioned.
Obi also emphasized that the desperation of politicians to buy votes highlights the immense value of the ballot, insisting that real power lies not in money but in the conscience and courage of voters. He argued that looters can only succeed when citizens hand them the keys through vote-selling, urging Nigerians to recognize their ballots as priceless instruments of change.
Calling for collective responsibility, Obi urged Nigerians to resist the temptation of selling their votes and instead embrace the politics of service and accountability. He insisted that the nation’s future depends on citizens rejecting bribery and electing leaders committed to building rather than looting. “The choice is ours,” he declared, stressing that Nigerians must rise above temporary gains to reclaim the destiny of the nation.
