2027: CSOs Demand Action On Vote Buying, Campaign Spending

Civil society organisations have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political actors to take stronger measures against vote buying and unregulated campaign spending ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The groups made the call on Friday at the National Civil Society Organisations Summit 2026, convened in Abuja by the Civil Society Organisation on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI), led by Dr Kunle Yusuff.

Participants at the summit urged INEC and other stakeholders to ensure strict compliance with the amended electoral law and address shortcomings that affected the 2023 general elections, including vote buying, inadequate logistics and insufficient voter enlightenment.

During panel discussions, speakers argued that election financing must be properly tracked to prevent excessive spending, voter inducement and attempts to influence electoral outcomes through financial means.

They noted that the absence of effective enforcement of campaign spending limits had created room for candidates and political actors to spend beyond the prescribed thresholds, making it difficult to ensure a level playing field.

The panelists included Amb. Charles Omini, Special Envoy, West Africa, International Human Rights Protection Service; Chief Oluwasegun Oyedijo, National Coordinator, Support for Civil Society Organisations; Amb. Zainab Mohammed, Coordinator.

Others include ;partnership for Rural Women Development; Danjuma Bello Sarki, Executive Director, Initiative for Promotion of Civic Obligations and Sustainable Peace; Bar. Crownwell Chibuzor, Executive Director, Youth Education on Human Rights and Civic Responsibilities; and Dr Ezeadili Appolonia Obiageri, CEO, Africa for Millennium Change Initiative.

Chibuzor said stronger measures were needed to improve participation and credibility in the electoral process, noting that voter apathy remained a major concern.

He also proposed the adoption of a voting arrangement that would allow essential professional workers to cast their ballots on separate days from the general electorate to reduce the risk of disenfranchisement.

“There should be lessons to strengthen credibility in terms of number of citizens that participate in elections. Most times the number does not tally, such that we can unboard the mail system of election to ensure that core professional workers can have separate days for voting so as not to be disenfranchised,” he said.

Dr Appolonia, while highlighting the role of women and persons with disabilities in elections, called for special arrangements to make voting easier for vulnerable groups.

She said pregnant women and persons with disabilities should be given priority during voting rather than being required to endure long queues, which could discourage participation.

She also expressed concern over inadequate enlightenment of women on electoral laws despite their importance to the electoral process.

The Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, also warned against vote buying, stressing the importance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to the electoral process.

Nwagwu likened the importance of the BVAS to that of an ATM card, noting that while an ATM card provides access to money, the electoral system determines who makes decisions that can affect issues such as fuel prices, inflation and the country’s overall development.

He urged citizens and political actors to reject vote buying, warning that participants in electoral inducement could face legal consequences.

Nwagwu said the absence of explicit sanctions in some areas should not be interpreted as immunity from prosecution, noting that individuals could be prosecuted and potentially become ex-convicts.

The summit therefore called for stronger monitoring of campaign finances, enforcement of electoral rules, improved voter education and measures to prevent the manipulation of voters ahead of the 2027 elections.