The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared a total war on vote buying ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State Governorship Election, urging media practitioners to treat the menace as a frontline investigative priority. The Commission tasked journalists to thoroughly document electoral malpractices with the specific details required to trigger swift legal prosecution against offenders.
This charge was delivered on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, during a One-Day Media Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osogbo, Osun State. The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, delivered the keynote address, which was read on his behalf by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola.
Severe Penalties Under Electoral Act 2026
Malam Haruna raised concerns over the dangerous evolution of financial inducements during elections, identifying vote trading as the most alarming trend observed during the recent June 20, 2026, Ekiti State Governorship Election. According to the Commission, political actors and their agents have resorted to sophisticated tactics, including the distribution of numbered vouchers redeemable outside polling units to evade the eyes of security agencies.
To combat this, the National Commissioner reminded political actors and the public of the strict legal repercussions entrenched in the newly minted Electoral Act 2026.
“Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026 prescribes a fine of not less than five million naira, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, alongside a ten-year disqualification from contesting public office for persons convicted of vote trading,” Haruna stated.
The Commission called on news editors to strategically deploy dedicated resources before, during, and after the election. Reporters were explicitly urged to capture names, specific locations, transaction amounts, and the operational coordination of vote buyers. This investigative data, INEC noted, will feed directly into an enforcement framework comprising INEC, the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, and the State Security Service (SSS).
Technology and Logistics Ready for 30 LGAs
Beyond tackling electoral corruption, the Commission revealed that major pre-election preparations for Osun State have been successfully concluded. INEC has cleared candidates from 14 political parties to participate in the August 15 polls, which will include the incumbent governor. Furthermore, the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise successfully enrolled 381,817 new voters in the state.
To guarantee transparency, INEC confirmed the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) across all 30 local government areas. The Commission expressed confidence in these technologies, pointing to their success in the Ekiti election where BVAS recorded a 96 percent functionality rate and IReV achieved a 98 percent result-upload completion rate.
Curbing Low Voter Turnout
Despite technological advancements, INEC expressed worry over declining voter turnout across the country. Data from the Ekiti election revealed a sobering statistic: accreditation covered fewer than four in every ten registered voters. Consequently, Malam Haruna urged media organisations to leverage their mass reach to drive intensive voter mobilisation.
Supporting this stance, the Osun State REC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, described the media as an indispensable partner in upholding democratic values through objective reporting. Similarly, the INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, represented by Deputy Director Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, emphasized that the forum was vital to clarify the Commission’s updated processes under the new legal framework.
Pledging the absolute support of the press, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Chapter, Comrade Adeyemi Aboderin, assured the Commission of journalists’ readiness to combat vote trading and drive civic enlightenment, expressing strong confidence that the upcoming Osun poll will yield superior democratic outcomes.
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