INEC Decries Vote Buying, Selling In Nigeria

Ahead of the 2026 governorship election in Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned the crime of vote buying and selling.

Voter education and enlightenment about elections, according to INEC, is a critical component of a free, fair, and credible election.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in the State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, stated these while playing host to members of the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA) led by their Chairman, Mukhtar Ajelogbon at the state headquarters of the electoral umpire.

Agboke, who described vote buying as a terrible cankerworm to the electoral process in Nigeria, urged politicians to desist from vote buying practices.

He said as part of the efforts to ensure smooth conduct of the 2026 gubernatorial election devoid of vote buying and all form of malpractices, the commission has concluded plans to engage all registered political parties and electorates as major stakeholders in any election.

While acknowledging the role of digital media especially Osun Online Publishers Association in promoting the commission’s activities within the state and Nigeria in general, Agboke said there was the need for the Commission to continue to engage the stakeholders ahead of poll.

Agboke who stressed that the Commission would engage all political parties ahead of the 2026 guber election, noting that the commission would be moving from one political party office to another for sensitization.

“It is an opportunity that you come on a familiarization visit, we really acknowledge your support and roles in supporting us. Some of you are known faces and the commission shall continue to be your partner.

“Part of our activities ahead of the next election is that we are going to engage the political parties, we are going to have schedule from next month (15th of May, 2024) to move from one political party office to the other.

“We are going to visit their executives, we are going to sit down and talk to ourselves to map out ways to get things done peacefully,” Agboke said.

According to him, “Vote buying is still a terrible cankerworm, the stakeholders are not facing the reality of allowing it to go, so there is need for us to continue to engage the public in the danger of collecting money from political parties during elections.

Earlier, the chairman, Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA), Mukhtar Ajelogbon, said the visitation to the commission headquarters, in Osogbo, became imperative so as to introduce the new leadership of the association to the REC and to seal a deal of partnership with the electoral commission.