The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged Nigerians to work collectively towards ensuring peaceful, transparent and credible elections in 2027, warning that vote buying and other forms of electoral corruption remain serious threats to democracy and good governance.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday while delivering the inaugural lecture of the High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS), University of Ilorin, Kwara State. The lecture was themed, “Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Setting the Agenda for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria.”
Speaking at the event, the EFCC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to tackling the growing monetisation of Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that vote buying, vote selling and financial inducements undermine the credibility of elections and weaken democratic institutions.
According to him, politicians who secure electoral victories through financial influence are often more concerned with recovering their investments than delivering good governance and public service.
“The EFCC is opposed to commercialization of votes not only for the reason that it is a financial crime, it weakens the foundation for good governance by compromising the political recruitment process. Leaders who pay their way into public office are unlikely to prioritise public good and accountability. Rather, recouping their investments becomes the overarching objective, to the detriment of the common good,” he said.
Olukoyede disclosed that the anti-graft agency has secured several arrests, prosecutions and convictions involving electoral offences, including cases against politicians, election officials and citizens implicated in vote-buying schemes.
He assured Nigerians that the EFCC would intensify surveillance and enforcement efforts ahead of the next general elections, maintaining that electoral bribery remains a criminal offence that would be prosecuted regardless of the status of those involved.
The EFCC boss also warned that electoral corruption has evolved beyond open cash inducements at polling units, noting that perpetrators now employ more sophisticated methods to influence voters.
“Vote buying manifests not just through financial inducement of voters but also through other material and commodity offers. Investigations are pointing to the fact that some of these criminal activities are no longer being carried out in the open. They are not even being done on election days. Codes are being used covertly. Linkages are being established with voters outside the electoral frameworks, all in a bid to influence them to follow some fraudulent routes. We are aware of all these antics and we are prepared to safeguard the integrity of our elections,” he stated.
Olukoyede identified stronger collaboration among electoral stakeholders as a critical factor in delivering credible polls. He called for strict enforcement of electoral laws, issue-based political campaigns, responsible media engagement, professional conduct by security agencies and effective conflict-resolution mechanisms before, during and after elections.
He further urged political parties to reject divisive politics and inflammatory rhetoric, warning that such practices have historically contributed to election-related violence across the country.
The EFCC chairman challenged the media to play a more active role in exposing vote-buying networks and other forms of electoral malpractice, while encouraging security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the electoral cycle.
According to him, coordinated security operations and proactive intelligence gathering would help reduce electoral tensions and strengthen public confidence in the democratic process.
Earlier, Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Prof. G.A. Animasawun, said the lecture series was designed to provide a platform for critical stakeholders to identify and address emerging threats to Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 elections.
He noted that the Centre aims to move beyond theoretical discussions by promoting practical solutions capable of enhancing electoral integrity, peacebuilding and national security.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), described electoral corruption as a major threat to national stability and called for stronger institutional partnerships to combat electoral malpractice.
Egbewole commended the EFCC’s preventive approach to tackling electoral corruption and proposed a strategic collaboration between the Commission and the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies to advance research, training and policy development on electoral integrity and national security.
The event attracted representatives of electoral institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media, academia and other stakeholders committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
