The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that politicians caught in vote buying in Nigeria during the 2027 general elections will be prosecuted. The commission also says ballot box snatching will no longer work.
This warning came from Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu, at a stakeholders’ meeting on Friday, October 9.
The meeting brought together party leaders, candidates, community representatives and the media. Agwu said the commission would watch candidates’ spending closely and urged citizens to report anyone seen buying votes. 
Parties in the spotlight over vote buying in Nigeria
Agwu placed responsibility on political parties, not the electoral body. She said vote buying is carried out by parties, and that INEC and the police have no hand in it.
She asked candidates to spend campaign money on presenting plans to voters instead of paying for votes. Agwu further said she had never personally witnessed the practice, but called on anyone who sees it to alert the commission.
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On violence, Agwu told parties not to hire thugs to disrupt polling. She described ballot box snatching as “obsolete,” saying INEC has the technology to make stolen boxes worthless to those who take them.
She added that the commission is fully prepared for the polls and expects no glitches. According to her, the exercise is 97 days away. Under INEC’s revised timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections hold on January 16, 2027. Governorship and state assembly polls on February 6.
Warning to INEC staff and scammers
Agwu said INEC staff have been told not to accept money from politicians. Anyone who lures officials with cash to alter results will be prosecuted, she added.
She also warned that desperate candidates are sometimes scammed by fraudsters who pose as INEC workers. She said the commission would not allow this in 2027.
Separately, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike criticised INEC for not sanctioning ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi over remarks he allegedly made in Edo State. Wike said campaigns should focus on issues instead of personal attacks. Agwu had earlier said the commission would not tolerate campaigns of insults.
What the threat means for vote buying in Nigeria
Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly polls began on August 19. The warning lands while parties are already in the field. Lawmakers have also pushed for tougher penalties. The House of Representatives backed a minimum two-year jail term or N5 million fine for vote buyers and sellers, plus a 10-year ban from contesting elections.
Whether the warning leads to arrests and convictions will show if vote buying in Nigeria can be curbed before January 16.
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