The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to set up a joint financial monitoring mechanism with key anti-corruption and financial intelligence agencies to track illegal campaign expenditure and curb vote buying ahead of the 2027 general elections. This move is aimed at ensuring that financial strength does not become the overriding factor in determining electoral outcomes. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop with media executives.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions,” focused on the roles of the media, civil society, and electoral institutions in strengthening public confidence in the democratic process. Amupitan said INEC was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign spending and identify suspicious financial transactions.
The joint financial monitoring mechanism will track suspicious and illegal campaign expenditure, while surveillance will also be strengthened around polling units. Amupitan warned politicians and their agents that violations of the Electoral Act would attract arrest and prosecution. He emphasized that elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket.
The renewed emphasis on campaign financing comes amid longstanding concerns over vote buying and the growing influence of money in Nigeria’s electoral contests. Amupitan said the commission was determined to ensure that voters should be allowed to make their choices freely. He also disclosed that INEC had completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its timetable for the 2027 elections.
Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrants across the three phases, subject to final verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). The preliminary display of the register for claims and objections will take place from October 9 to 15, 2026.
INEC has also introduced printable PVC technology to reduce delays in the production and collection of voters’ cards and prevent eligible voters from being disenfranchised. The commission has acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as part of measures to strengthen its technological infrastructure ahead of the polls. An enhanced electronic EC8A form has been introduced to digitise and cryptographically authenticate polling-unit results.
Amupitan expressed concern over the growing use of social media to circulate false information capable of undermining elections, describing malicious disinformation as “citizenship terrorism through social media.” He urged editors and journalists to verify information before publication, warning that false reports could suppress voter turnout, create panic, and undermine confidence in credible elections. The chairman cited instances of old photographs, manipulated images, and fabricated reports being presented as current election-related events.
Key points
- INEC partners with anti-corruption agencies to track illegal campaign expenditure
- INEC introduces new technologies to strengthen electoral infrastructure
- INEC warns against the spread of false information on social media
