The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced plans to deploy joint financial monitoring teams and undercover operatives across the country to tackle vote-buying and illegal campaign spending ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission said the initiative would be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a one-day strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the commission.
Amupitan said the commission had adopted an uncompromising position against vote-buying, warning political parties and candidates against attempting to influence voters with cash or other inducements.
“The integrity of the ballot box is fatally compromised when a citizen’s vote is treated as a commodity for sale. The Commission is taking an uncompromising stance against vote-buying in all its forms ahead of the 2027 General Election.”
He said the joint monitoring teams would track campaign finances and investigate suspicious activities, while undercover surveillance would be conducted at polling units nationwide.
“Working through a strengthened coalition with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, joint financial monitoring teams will be deployed to track illegal campaign spending and conduct undercover surveillance at polling units nationwide,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan warned that political parties and candidates found engaging in vote-buying would face sanctions under the Electoral Act 2026.
“Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket,” he said.
The commission’s warning comes as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are fixed for February 6.
As part of its preparations, INEC has acquired 57,000 additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices to strengthen the technological infrastructure for the elections.
According to Amupitan, the new BVAS devices have undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration aimed at strengthening accreditation and preventing attempts to circumvent the verification process.
“The devices have undergone extensive software hardening, battery optimisation, and biometric calibration to prevent accreditation bypass and eliminate manual manipulation,” he said.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission had completed the latest phase of voter registration and biometric verification, taking the National Register of Voters to more than 103 million.
He said the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.
“Following the conclusion of our three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which captured over 10.6 million new applicants, and the completion of the public display of the Preliminary Register for claims and objections, our Voter Register Department has completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup. Nigeria’s National Register of Voters is now over 103 million,” Amupitan said.
The commission also announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards would commence on Friday, October 9.
Amupitan said Phase One PVCs had been processed and distributed to local government centres ahead of the commencement of collection.
He urged eligible voters who registered during the exercise to collect their cards promptly and encouraged the media to provide citizens with information on collection locations.
The latest figures represent a significant increase from the voter register recorded before the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which had been projected by the commission to cross the 100 million mark.
INEC said the combination of an expanded voter register, upgraded BVAS technology and stronger monitoring of campaign finance formed part of its broader preparations to improve the credibility and integrity of the 2027 electoral process.
The commission also called on political actors and voters to reject the monetisation of the electoral process, insisting that the outcome of elections should be determined by voters’ choices rather than financial inducements.
