Osun Guber: Make fight against vote buying major focus — INEC to journalists

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on media practitioners in Osun State to make the fight against vote buying a major focus of their coverage ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The appeal was made during a one-day Media Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osogbo on Tuesday, where the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, urged journalists to investigate and expose electoral malpractice.

Represented by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, Haruna described vote buying as the most disturbing issue observed during the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, alleging that political actors and their agents offered cash to voters at polling units and, in some instances, distributed numbered vouchers redeemable away from voting centres.

He said journalists should gather evidence capable of supporting prosecution by documenting incidents with precision. 

“Reporters should capture names, locations, amounts involved and the structure of coordination in their investigations,” he said, adding that such reports would strengthen efforts to prosecute offenders.

The National Commissioner cited Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026, stating that anyone convicted of vote trading faces a fine of not less than N5 million, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, as well as a 10-year ban from contesting public office.

He explained that evidence gathered by the media would support enforcement efforts involving INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service. 

According to him, editors should assign dedicated resources to investigating vote buying before, during and after election day.

Haruna also disclosed that the commission had completed major preparations for the Osun governorship election, including the clearance of candidates from 14 political parties, the registration of 381,817 new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and plans to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal across all 30 local government areas.

Referring to the recent Ekiti governorship election, he said the BVAS recorded a 96 per cent functionality rate, while the IReV achieved a 98 per cent result upload completion rate. 

While expressing confidence that the same technologies would support a credible electoral process in Osun, the National Commissioner also raised concern over declining voter turnout across the country, noting that fewer than four out of every 10 registered voters were accredited during the Ekiti election. 

He urged media organisations to intensify voter education and encourage citizens to participate in the electoral process while promoting awareness of IReV for result verification.

In her welcome address, Mrs Babalola described the media as an essential partner in strengthening democracy through accurate reporting and public enlightenment. 

She called for sustained collaboration between journalists and the commission to ensure a peaceful and credible governorship election.

Also speaking, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, represented by the Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, said the forum was organised to improve collaboration between INEC and media professionals, provide updates on preparations for the election and explain the commission’s responsibilities under the Electoral Act 2026.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, Adeyemi Aboderin, pledged the support of journalists in combating vote trading and mobilising voters ahead of the poll. 

He expressed optimism that the August 15 governorship election, in which 14 political parties, including the ruling party, will participate, would produce better outcomes than the recent Ekiti governorship election.