INEC to Deploy Intelligence Against Vote Buying Ahead of 2027 Elections

• INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan says the commission will activate intelligence operations and pursue a joint task force to tackle vote buying ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Joash Amupitan, has disclosed that the commission would activate intelligence operations against vote buying ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan made the disclosure while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Imo State on Wednesday.

Themed “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections,” the INEC boss lamented that vote buying had become so entrenched that perpetrators no longer indulge in it at polling units.

Raising fresh concerns over security and funding for the elections, Amupitan emphasised that election security depends on adequate funding of the polls.

He also frowned at the volume of hate speeches during political campaigns, revealing that plans are in place to ensure that those found guilty would be arrested, investigated and even prosecuted.

While addressing the menace of vote buying, the commission’s chairman revealed that plans are in place to constitute a giant task force, which would involve everybody on the same platform, including the Federal Minister of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office, to ensure that the issue is tackled collectively.

According to him, “That is part of what we just discussed here. We need to do a lot of intelligence work because these things are done and planned before the election. And most of the issues of vote buying now, you don’t even see them at the polling units. They are done outside of the polling units.

“So, we need to activate intelligence because in operations, we have the brain of operations, we have the hands of operations and we also have the mind of operations. So, the mind of operations has to do with how you can use intelligence to fish out some of those things and deal with them. But beyond that, we are also trying to have a form of a giant task force, bring in everybody on the same platform, including the Federal Minister of Justice and the Attorney General’s office, to ensure that we tackle it collectively because we don’t have powers to arrest them. We don’t have powers to investigate. But so long as people are waiting to be bought or to trade, then it will still become a viable business. But you saw what happened in some places now, that as far as INEC is concerned, we will do our own bit, ensure that logistics are right in terms of result management and then improve on what has gone out and ensure that we have a very successful election,” he disclosed.

Speaking further he admitted: “The commission’s number one concern is the issue of security because there are still some states in Nigeria that have a lot of insecurities around. It is a major source of concern for us because that can be a source of disenfranchisement of Nigerians and we don’t want any Nigerian to be disenfranchised.

“So, it is a top priority for INEC and we are here to liaise and partner with the Nigerian police, the lead agency on election security, so that we can address and strategies towards having elections in those volatile areas,” he noted.

Amupitan equally spoke on pending pre-election issues, noting, “There are pre-election matters, which are within the province of the courts. If there is a dispute over the primaries, most of them are already in the courts. And it is very clear from the Electoral Act that in such cases, it is the court that has the final decision.

“But mind you, it has to be litigated up to the final court. So, that is just a concern. However, you know elections are contested by political parties, not candidates. So, at the end of the day, that does not stop elections from being properly conducted for the political party. And whichever decision that comes out at the end of the day, INEC will abide by it,” he promised.

The commission’s boss elaborated more on the security, noting, “Security is like this roadmap to election management. So, definitely, you heard us talking about the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). Some of the things we discussed here, some of the suggestions here, we take it to ISIS. And then especially as to the rule of engagement and the modus operandi on election day.”

“Some of the issues will definitely have to be addressed when we call the meeting of ICCES, consisting of the IGP himself, myself as the chairman and about 13 other agencies, including the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). It is a very good conference and I was happy that they organised it and I am part of it. We have gained a lot and also shared our own viewpoints on some aspects,” he said.

On the cantankerous nature of the political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, Amupitan said: “That is part of what we discussed here. We talked about this issue of campaign, and that campaign should be based on issues, not on personality. And what we are seeing is just because of lack of political tolerance. In some ways, we are trying to take some measures to ensure that parties are brought back.

“Elections should not be a do or die. Election should be based on issues and not a campaign of calumny and denigration. So, the fact that we have not been, even if we give all agents circulars every day, you know, we are working with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that there are offences under the Act, under the Electoral Act.

“So, just trying to ensure that those that are guilty of it are arrested, investigated and even prosecuted and it is the responsibility of the police. So, that is part of why I decided to come here to also talk about it,” he noted.

The INEC chairman was accompanied by National Commissioners, Dr. Ken Nnamdi Ukeagu and Rear Admiral Jamila Abubakar Malaga (retd.), the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Chukwuemeka C. Ibeziakor and the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola.

Also on the entourage were Mustapha Muhammad Dogondaji, Personal Assistant; Ahmad Yusuf, Executive Assistant (Finance) and Ezeh N. Emmanuel, Head of Legal, INEC Imo State.