Ex-INEC commissioner warns vote buying, insecurity could affect 2027 election
Vote buying and insecurity could significantly affect Nigeria’s 2027 general election, a former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission said Saturday.
Festus Okoye spoke during a virtual masterclass organized by the Lagos chapter of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters.
Okoye said vote buying had shifted from discreet cash distributions presented as empowerment programs to more open transactions at polling units.
Voters can now collect money from multiple political actors at polling locations, making the practice harder to detect and prevent, he said.
Okoye also raised concerns about whether security personnel and resources deployed for off-cycle elections could be matched nationwide during the general election.
He said the shortfall could pose particular challenges in communities already affected by insecurity, including questions about how voting would take place and how results would be collated.
Okoye identified political party primaries as another concern ahead of the election. He said governors’ control of party primaries had left some politicians dissatisfied and prompted them to seek alternative political platforms.
He also expressed concern about a growing perception that the judiciary has become the institution that ultimately determines political mandates after elections.
That perception could further undermine public confidence in the electoral process, Okoye said.
He urged broadcast journalists to strengthen their investigative and legal knowledge ahead of the 2027 election.
Journalists should understand the constitutional, legal and operational issues surrounding elections to hold political actors accountable and accurately report the polls, he said.
