Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned vote-buying in Nigeria, describing it as a deliberate investment in corruption that endangers the nation’s democracy.

In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Obi argued that politicians who purchase votes are effectively securing a licence to plunder public funds, diverting resources intended for schools, hospitals, roads, and job creation into private pockets.

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, Obi said.

The former Anambra State Governor stressed that such politicians are not leaders but looters who rob society of dignity, development, and even life itself. He further warned that voters who sell their votes are also complicit in their own disenfranchisement.

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, he added.