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Says perpetrators have become sophisticated
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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
As political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has raised concerns over the growing influence of money in Nigeria’s electoral process.
He warned that vote-buying and other forms of financial inducement pose serious threats to credible elections and democratic governance.
Speaking at the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin on Wednesday, Olukoyede said the monetisation of elections continues to undermine the quality of leadership and weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
Delivering a lecture titled “Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Setting the Agenda for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria”, the anti-corruption chief argued that politicians who gain office through financial inducement are often more interested in recovering campaign expenditures than delivering good governance.
According to him, vote-buying, vote-selling, and other forms of electoral corruption compromise the political recruitment process and erode accountability in public office.
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Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC had secured arrests, prosecutions and convictions involving politicians, electoral officials and voters linked to vote-buying schemes in previous elections, adding that the commission would intensify enforcement efforts ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also revealed that electoral corruption is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with perpetrators now relying on covert networks, coded communications and off-site arrangements to influence voters away from polling units and official electoral processes.
The EFCC chairman stressed that curbing electoral corruption would require stronger collaboration among political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations and electoral stakeholders.
He urged political actors to embrace issue-based campaigns and reject divisive rhetoric that can trigger violence, while calling on journalists to expose vote-buying networks and other forms of electoral malpractice.
Olukoyede further challenged security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the electoral cycle, noting that coordinated security arrangements would enhance public confidence in the electoral process.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, G. A. Animasawun, said the lecture series was designed to identify practical solutions to threats facing Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, described electoral corruption as a major national security concern and called for stronger institutional partnerships to safeguard electoral integrity.
