The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that vote buying will not be tolerated in the 2027 general elections, revealing that security agencies have been instructed to arrest offenders.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Amupitan said the commission has put proactive measures in place, in collaboration with security agencies, to detect, prevent, and prosecute individuals involved in electoral malpractice.
“We have directed the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest vote buyers during the election,” he said.
He explained that the decision followed intelligence reports and findings from relevant committees highlighting the risk of vote buying and potential security violence during the polls.
“We are doing all these because we have been presented with evidence-based information, and we are not going to take it for granted. We will share it with our security partners so they can use the information to take the necessary steps they ought to take,” the INEC chairman added.
Amupitan reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections in 2027, stressing that any attempt to undermine the electoral process would be met with strict enforcement of the law.
