Osun poll: INEC urges journalists to investigate vote-buying

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tasked journalists in Osun State to prioritize investigations into vote-buying ahead of the August 15 governorship election, stating that detailed media reports would aid the prosecution of electoral offenders.

The commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, made the call in a keynote address delivered at a one-day Media Stakeholders’ Forum held on Tuesday in Osogbo.

The address was read on his behalf by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola.

Haruna described vote-buying as the most disturbing development recorded during the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State.

He alleged that political actors and their agents openly induced voters with cash at polling units and, in some cases, used numbered vouchers redeemable outside polling centers to avoid detection.

He urged editors to dedicate resources to investigating the practice before, during, and after election day, while calling on reporters to document the names of those involved, locations, amounts exchanged, and the patterns of coordination behind such activities.

According to him, such detailed investigations would support an enforcement framework involving INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the State Security Service (SSS) in prosecuting electoral offenders.

The National Commissioner cited Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides a fine of not less than ₦5 million, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, as well as a 10-year disqualification from contesting public office for anyone convicted of vote trading.

Haruna also stated that INEC had concluded key preparations for the Osun governorship election, including the clearance of candidates sponsored by 14 political parties and the registration of 381,817 new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

He affirmed that the commission would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) across all 30 local government areas of Osun State.

According to him, the technologies performed strongly during the Ekiti governorship election, with BVAS recording a 96% functionality rate and IReV achieving a 98% result upload completion rate.

Haruna, however, expressed concern over declining voter turnout, noting that fewer than four out of every 10 registered voters were accredited during the Ekiti governorship election.

He called on media organizations to complement INEC’s efforts by intensifying voter education and mobilization campaigns, while sensitizing the electorate to the dangers of vote-buying and the importance of verifying election results through the IReV portal.

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