Former presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described the issue of vote-buying in Nigeria as a calculated investment in corruption that undermines the nation’s democracy.
Obi, who said this in a X post on Tuesday, argued that politicians who purchase votes are securing a “licence to plunder” public funds, diverting resources meant for schools, hospitals, and jobs into private pockets.
The former Anambra State Governor said that vote-buying is not an act of kindness but a strategic move by “looters” rather than leaders.
“Vote-buying is one of the greatest dangers confronting our democracy. It is never an act of kindness; it is a calculated investment in corruption. Those who buy votes do so with only one intention—to gain access to public funds. By bribing voters today, they are purchasing a licence to plunder tomorrow.
“And when they get into office, the money meant for schools, hospitals, roads, and jobs is diverted into private pockets. Such people are not leaders—they are looters. Their actions rob our society of dignity, development, and even life itself,” Obi said.
The former candidate also challenged the notion that voters are innocent victims, asserting that those who sell their votes are complicit in their own disenfranchisement.
“But those who sell their votes are not innocent either. When you exchange your ballot for money or material gain, you are not just selling a vote—you are selling your future. You are selling away the schools your children should attend, the hospitals that should save lives, and the jobs that should lift families out of poverty. In truth, you mortgage your tomorrow for a token that cannot sustain you today.”
Describing the reality is of vote buying, Obi said, “looters can only loot when we hand them the key. If your vote had no value, nobody would be desperate to buy it. The fact that millions are spent on vote-buying shows that your ballot is priceless. The real power does not lie in their money. It lies in your conscience, your courage, and your vote.”
He urged Nigerians to be responsible and reject vote selling in order to elect leaders that will build.
“The choice is ours. We either keep selling our votes and remain trapped in poverty and bad governance, or we rise above temporary gain and reclaim the future of our nation. Every Nigerian must take responsibility. Let us reject the politics of bribery and embrace the politics of service. Let us elect leaders who will build, not loot.”
