EFCC warns against vote buying ahead of 2027 elections

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has warned Nigerians against vote buying and other forms of electoral inducement, describing them as serious threats to democracy and good governance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Olukoyede gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering the inaugural lecture of the High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) of the University of Ilorin in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Speaking on the theme, “Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Setting the Agenda for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria,” the EFCC boss said the commission remained committed to tackling the monetisation of the electoral process.

According to him, vote buying, vote selling and other forms of financial influence undermine democratic governance by compromising the process of electing leaders.

“The EFCC is opposed to commercialisation of votes not only because it is a financial crime, but because it weakens the foundation for good governance. Leaders who pay their way into public office are unlikely to prioritise public good and accountability,” he said.

Olukoyede disclosed that the commission had recorded several arrests, prosecutions and convictions involving politicians, electoral officials and voters linked to vote-buying schemes in recent years.

He assured Nigerians that the anti-graft agency would intensify its enforcement efforts ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that electoral corruption would be prosecuted without fear or favour.

The EFCC chairman noted that electoral corruption had become increasingly sophisticated, with perpetrators now using covert methods, coded communications and off-site arrangements to influence voters.

He said investigations revealed that inducements were no longer limited to election days, as some actors had established secret channels and networks to sway voters outside formal electoral processes.

Olukoyede identified stronger collaboration among stakeholders, strict enforcement of electoral laws, issue-based campaigns, responsible media coverage, impartial security operations and effective conflict-resolution mechanisms as key requirements for credible elections.

He urged political parties to reject vote buying and inflammatory rhetoric, warning that divisive politics had contributed to violence during previous elections.

The EFCC chairman also challenged the media to expose vote-buying networks and electoral corruption, while calling on security agencies to maintain professionalism and neutrality throughout the electoral process.

Earlier, the Director of the CPSS, G. A. Animasawun, said the lecture series was created to provide a platform for stakeholders to identify and address threats to Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.

In his remarks, Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, described electoral corruption as a major national security threat and called for stronger institutional collaboration to curb electoral malpractice.

The event attracted participants from electoral bodies, security agencies, civil society organisations, academia, the media and other stakeholders involved in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.