From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has urged media organisations especially practitioners in Osun State, to place vote buying at the centre of their election coverage ahead of the August 15, 2026 Governorship Election.
The Commission who called on media outfits, urged them to help wage campaign war against vote buying, document all incidents with enough detail to support prosecution and deter political actors who are deploying cash to influence voters.
Delivering the charge yesterday at a One-Day Media Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, described vote buying as the most troubling trend from the June 20 Ekiti Governorship Election.
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Mohammed, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said reports from Ekiti indicated that cash was offered at polling units and through numbered vouchers redeemable outside voting centres to avoid detection.
Citing Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026, the National Commissioner warned that vote trading now attracts a fine of not less than five million naira, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, in addition to a 10-year ban from contesting public office upon conviction. He tasked editors with dedicating resources to the issue before, during, and after Election Day, and urged reporters to record names, locations, amounts, and the structure of coordination wherever such acts occur.
According to him, reports generated by the media will feed into an enforcement framework involving INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, and the State Security Service.
He added that the Commission has concluded major pre-election arrangements for Osun, including the clearance of candidates from 14 political parties, the enrolment of 381,817 new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration, and plans to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal across all 30 local government areas.
The Commission pointed to technology performance in Ekiti as a benchmark for Osun where BVAS recorded a 96 percent functionality rate, while IReV achieved a 98 percent result-upload completion rate. However, Haruna noted a decline in voter participation, with accreditation in Ekiti covering fewer than four in every ten registered voters.
Voter education commissioner called on media organisations to use their platforms for voter mobilisation, public enlightenment on the dangers of vote buying, and education on result verification through IReV.
In her welcome remarks, Mrs Babalola, described the media as an indispensable partner in promoting democratic values through objective reporting. The INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, represented by Deputy Director Mr Wilfred Ifogah, said the forum was convened to strengthen INEC’s relationship with journalists, provide updates on preparations, and clarify processes under the Electoral Act 2026.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Chapter, Comrade Adeyemi Aboderin, while responding, also pledged support for the effort. Saying, journalists would work to reduce vote trading and mobilise voters, expressing optimism that the August 15 poll would improve on Ekiti’s outcome. Fourteen political parties, including the incumbent governor, are fielding candidates in the Osun Governorship Election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
