The Executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, in Ilorin on Wednesday warned against vote buying during elections saying some governorship aspirants in Nigeria spend between N20 billion and N30 billion to secure electoral victory during the recently concluded primaries by political parties.
He warned that vote buying and other forms of financial inducement remain major threats to democratic governance.
The anti- graft agency boss made the disclosure while delivering the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS), University of Ilorin, on the theme, “De-risking and Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria”.
The EFCC boss said that huge financial resources deployed during elections often compel elected officials to divert public funds after assuming office in a bid to recover their investments.
“The commercialisation of votes weakens the foundation of good governance because it compromises the political recruitment process. Leaders who buy their way into office are more likely to focus on recovering their investments rather than serving the public interest”, he said.
Olukoyede revealed that the anti-graft agency had made several arrests across the country over vote-buying and related electoral offences, with a number of convictions already secured.
He noted that those prosecuted include politicians, electoral officials and ordinary citizens found culpable of electoral misconduct.
The EFCC chairman warned that impunity in the electoral process could undermine democracy and national stability, stressing that there must be no sacred cows in the enforcement of electoral laws.
He also disclosed that the commission plans to deploy drones and other technological tools to strengthen election monitoring ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in tracking vote-buying and financial inducements at polling units.
Olukoyede called on political parties and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns and reject inflammatory rhetoric capable of inciting violence.
He urged stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and political actors, to work collaboratively to ensure peaceful, free and credible elections.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), described electoral corruption as a major threat to national security and democratic development.
Egbewole said credible elections are essential for national stability, economic growth and public confidence in governance, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between academic institutions and agencies responsible for safeguarding electoral integrity
