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With a few months to the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued stern warning against vote-buying and financial inducement, stressing that those involved in such electoral malpractices would be apprehended and prosecuted. The Commission also announced its collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor election expenditure and strengthen surveillance around polling units.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who dropped the hints at a strategic workshop organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the Commission, said “elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter and not the depth of a candidate’s pocket.” He also warned against violence, intimidation and incendiary comments, adding that political competition must not descend into conduct capable of undermining credible elections.
Amupitan assured the public of INEC’s neutrality in the forthcoming elections. “We have no preferred candidate, no preferred political party, and no agenda other than guaranteeing a free, fair, transparent, and credible election,” Amupitan stated. We laud INEC’s tough stance. This is not the first time the Commission would be stating its position against vote-buying, voter-intimidation, financial inducement and violence.
At a recent retreat of the Commission in Lagos, the INEC boss assured Nigerians that the 2027 general election would be free, fair, transparent and technologically driven. He vowed that INEC will not tolerate any misconduct in the electoral process. Amupitan hinted that INEC was preparing for a rapidly evolving electoral arrangement that would meet the expectations of Nigerians. According to him, 2027 will provide INEC with a historic opportunity to rewrite the history of elections in Nigeria and set a new benchmark for election management in Africa.
“The 2027 general election must be free and fair and be a watershed moment in Nigeria’s history. But we must even aim higher. I want us to build an institution that is globally recognised. Let it be that under our watch, INEC became the best election management body in Africa- a beacon of integrity, a model of technological efficiency and a fortress of democratic values,” he said. Nigerians do not expect anything short of a free and fair election in 2027. The stakes are high, just as the election is very important to all Nigerians. INEC should ensure that the votes count. Amupitan should keep to his promise of conducting the best election ever in the history of the country. Let the electoral umpire remain the impartial arbiter that the constitution envisages it to be.
Unfortunately, our elections had witnessed electoral violence, voter intimidation, ballot-snatching, rigging and other electoral infractions. For instance, the 2023 presidential election was marred by technical glitches and other anomalies. The 2027 exercise should not witness such infractions. Its credibility should not be in doubt.
We recall that the immediate past Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, promised to conduct free, fair and credible election in 2023. The Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) were particularly introduced as safeguards against rigging. However, the exercise was characterised by shoddiness and other ills.
Amupitan’s vow to conduct a credible poll in 2027 is timely and commendable. This is the first general election the Amupitan-led INEC will conduct. He should not bungle it. The election offers him an opportunity to write his name in gold. He should not miss it. The gubernatorial elections he conducted in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states met with varying degrees of success. His major litmus test is the forthcoming general election in 2027. Let his conduct of the election meet the expectations of Nigerians. The election should reflect the wishes of Nigerian people.
We acknowledge that vote-buying, voter intimidation and financial inducement constitute serious threats to democracy. These aberrations should not feature in next year’s poll. We insist that the relevant technologies for transparent election should be activated and liberally deployed. It is worth pointing out that history will judge him kindly or harshly, depending on how the 2027 election is conducted. His integrity is at stake. Let INEC under his watch be truly independent. Conducting a free and fair election is not a rocket science. It is doable. Nigerians believe that he can do it. Therefore, there should be no margin for error.
