INEC to Media: Expose Vote Buyers, Help Secure Convictions Ahead of Osun Governorship Election

By Iyojo Ameh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has challenged journalists to take the fight against vote buying beyond routine reporting by investigating and exposing perpetrators ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State Governorship Election.

The Commission said credible evidence gathered by the media could play a crucial role in securing convictions and deterring electoral offenders, describing vote buying as one of the gravest threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

Speaking at a one-day Media Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo on Tuesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said journalists must become active partners in protecting the integrity of the electoral process.

Haruna, whose address was delivered by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the widespread vote-buying witnessed during the June 20 Ekiti State Governorship Election underscored the need for greater media vigilance.

He alleged that political actors distributed cash and even issued numbered vouchers to voters for redemption outside polling units to avoid detection by security agencies.

According to him, the Electoral Act 2026 imposes severe sanctions on anyone found guilty of vote trading, including a minimum fine of ₦5 million, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, in addition to a 10-year ban from contesting elective office.

Haruna urged media organisations to deploy investigative reporters before, during and after the election to document names of suspects, locations, financial inducements and other evidence that could support prosecution.

He said such collaboration would complement the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies in tackling electoral offences.

The INEC commissioner also disclosed that preparations for the Osun governorship election had reached an advanced stage, with 14 political parties cleared to participate and 381,817 new voters registered during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

He said the Commission would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) across all polling units to ensure a transparent and credible election.

Haruna noted that BVAS achieved a 96 per cent functionality rate during the Ekiti election, while IReV successfully uploaded 98 per cent of polling unit results, expressing confidence that the technology would perform even better in Osun.

Despite improvements in election technology, he lamented the persistent decline in voter turnout, revealing that fewer than 40 per cent of registered voters participated in the Ekiti governorship poll.

He therefore called on journalists to intensify voter education, encourage citizens to participate peacefully in the election and sustain campaigns against vote buying.

Earlier, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, described the media as an indispensable partner in delivering credible elections through balanced reporting and civic education.

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, represented by Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, said the forum was convened to strengthen collaboration between the Commission and media practitioners ahead of the election.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, Comrade Adeyemi Aboderin, assured INEC of the media’s commitment to exposing vote buying and mobilising voters to participate in the poll.

The Osun State Governorship Election will be held on August 15, 2026, with candidates from 14 political parties expected to contest for the governorship.