The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that some governorship aspirants spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion during the last primary elections, warning that such spending undermines democracy and fuels corruption in public office.
Speaking at the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Olukoyede said the massive financial outlay often pressures elected officials to divert public funds once in office to recover campaign expenses.
“The commercialisation of votes weakens the foundation of good governance because it compromises the political recruitment process. Leaders who buy their way into office are more likely to focus on recovering their investments rather than serving the public interest,” he stated.
Olukoyede confirmed that the EFCC has already made several arrests across the country for vote-buying and other electoral offences, with convictions secured against politicians, electoral officials, and citizens.
He warned that impunity in the electoral process could destabilize democracy, stressing that “there must be no sacred cows” in enforcing electoral laws.
The EFCC boss also disclosed plans to deploy drones and technology to monitor elections ahead of 2027, particularly to track vote-buying at polling units.
Olukoyede urged political parties to embrace issue-based campaigns and avoid inflammatory rhetoric, while calling for collaboration among INEC, security agencies, civil society, the media, and political actors to ensure credible polls.
The University of Ilorin Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), described electoral corruption as a major threat to national security and democratic development, while CPSS Director, Professor G.A. Animasawun, said the lecture series was designed to foster proactive engagement on electoral integrity ahead of 2027.
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