In continuation of efforts to reduce complaints associated with elections to the barest minimum in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked civil society organisations (CSOs) to be as interested in party primaries as they are in monitoring main elections.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu said this on Tuesday during the first regular quarterly consultative meeting for the year 2025 held at the INEC Headquarters, Abuja.
According to the INEC’s helmsman some of the CSOs have made actionable recommendations on how to curtail the menace of vote buying which have been favourably considered by the Commission. “It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries.
“Some delegates openly boasted of how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries. You should intensify your advocacy in support of the practical steps taken by the relevant security and law enforcement agencies to tackle this diabolical practice,” he said
He noted that after all, only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on Election Day. “From your monitoring reports as accredited election observers, you have consistently expressed concern over vote-buying at Polling Units during elections.”
Prof Yakubu disclosed that the Commission has released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which is the only part of the country where INEC conducts Local Government election.
“The election will be held on Saturday 21st February 2026. As you are aware, the four-year tenure of the six Chairmen and 62 Councillors will end next year. The last Area Council election was held on 12 February 2022. The Timetable for the election is already uploaded to our website. Further details will be discussed at this meeting.
Also in his remarks, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu of Partners for Electoral Reforms who spoke on behalf of CSOs present at the meeting welcomed INEC’s call for greater vigilance and pledged to step up their monitoring efforts ahead of the upcoming elections. “We will work closely with INEC and other stakeholders to ensure that the electoral process is free, fair, and credible,” said a representative of one of the participating organizations.
“As Nigeria prepares for another round of elections, the spotlight remains on INEC and its partners to deliver a transparent and credible process. The Commission’s proactive stance on vote buying and delegate manipulation signals a renewed commitment to addressing the challenges that have plagued previous elections. However, the success of these efforts will depend on the collective action of all stakeholders, including political parties, security agencies, and civil society organizations.
“With the Anambra and FCT elections on the horizon, the battle against vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractice is set to take center stage, as Nigeria strives to strengthen its democracy and uphold the integrity of its electoral system”.
