‘Elect leaders who will build, not loot,’ Obi warns Nigerians against selling votes

Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has cautioned Nigerians against engaging in vote-buying, warning that the practice undermines democracy and mortgages the nation’s future.

In a statement posted on his official X handle on Tuesday, Obi described vote-buying as “one of the greatest dangers confronting our democracy,” stressing that it is neither an act of kindness nor generosity, but a deliberate investment in corruption.

“Those who buy votes do so with only one intention—to gain access to public funds,” Obi said. “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.”

He argued that voters who accept inducements are equally complicit, as they sell away their future for temporary tokens. “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,” he said.

The former presidential candidate stressed that the desperation of politicians to buy votes is proof of the value of the ballot. “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,” he added.

Obi therefore urged Nigerians to resist inducements during elections and instead choose leaders committed to service and nation-building. “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,” he declared.

Reiterating his mantra of hope, Obi concluded: “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. A New Nigeria is possible.”