…Vote buying, vote selling, result manipulation are top concerns for future elections
The conduct of the November 8 gubernatorial election in Anambra State may have highlighted to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Josh Amupitan, areas of concerns and the need to initiate a holistic change in the operational style of the commission to conduct credible elections on a consistent basis.
The off-cycle election included incidents of vote selling, vote buying, low turnout, allegations of result manipulation, and other electoral crimes.
Although the gubernatorial election remained generally peaceful across the state, several election observers, party agents and civil society groups raised concerns over open financial inducements to voters in several polling units across the state.
Cash for votes was reported in parts of Ihiala, Nnewi, Awka South and Ogbaru and reports said some voters allegedly negotiated payments before voting.
Late at night on election day, there were reports and photos online of party agents and politicians being arrested with cash by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials in several polling units.
Political observers say the situation in Anambra effectively defined Amupitan's role on election day and beyond, noting that he had repeatedly warned that vote buying in the governorship election would not be tolerated.
The INEC Chairman now faces growing expectations of investigation and possible sanction of the actors involved.
INEC's technical performance during the elections also came under scrutiny. While the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was working smoothly in many areas, varying delays in polling commencement and complaints of slow accreditation created concern among voters, who were already discouraged by previous experiences.
Low voting percentage observed; A familiar challenge that must be addressed immediately. Despite more than 2.8 million registered voters, very few people turned out to vote.
Election observers linked the apathy partly to a growing perception among citizens that results could be influenced, regardless of voting patterns.
In the past few days, defeated candidates like Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have alleged that the process was disrupted due to vote buying and intimidation.
The APC candidate said the development posed a threat to democracy.
ALSO READ: APC chief urges Amupitan, INEC chairman to resist political pressure
'Amputitan does not need new rules, but political will'
At a time when Nigerians are overwhelmingly demanding changes to the electoral process and meaningful electoral reforms, analysts say the onus is now on Amupitan to deliver on his promises to improve the conduct of elections.
Development practitioner and political analyst Hameed Muritala said the new INEC chairman does not need new rules, but the political will to implement existing rules without fear or favour.
The expert said the issues of result-sheet manipulation, blatant electoral malpractice and casual “go to court” attitude are not new, and electoral laws already address these concerns.
According to him, the Electoral Act empowers INEC to prosecute electoral offenders, annul compromised results and hold officials accountable.
“If INEC consistently enforces these provisions, no matter whose interests are affected, it will stop manipulation to a great extent and we can start having credible elections.
“We want an electoral institution that is firm, fair and courageous that can stand up to politicians and their supporters who try in every possible way to undermine the process,” Muritala told BusinessSunday.
Some other stakeholders said it is time for Amupitan to use its experience and improve the conduct of elections, noting that although there has been improvement in the uploading of election results from polling units to the INEC portal, there are still cases of BVAS malfunction and late arrival of election officials in many local government areas.
He said that the elections are a confirmation that when people speak in one voice, it will be difficult to rig elections.
Also read: Amupitan will be judged by the outcome of Anambra elections – Tinubu
Nothing can change without amending the Electoral Act
Other stakeholders expressed the view that it would be challenging for Amputitan to make any meaningful impact with the current Electoral Act because, according to them, it is flawed and needs amendment.
He called on the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of the Electoral Act, noting that there is very little time left for the election campaign for 2027 to begin.
“Many of us think there is an urgent need to change the current Electoral Act and the National Assembly has been considering it for some time. I am not sure whether anything will come out of it; nothing can change without it,” Dosu Balogun, a politician, told BusinessSunday.
Sunday Unuka, a lawyer, said the major challenge now facing INEC is to ensure that officials do not compromise themselves on election day and that the Elections Act was amended to make election result broadcasting backed by law.
Several civil society organizations have since called on Amupitan to hand over documented incidents of vote trading to anti-corruption agencies, stressing that failure to take action will deepen distrust in the electoral system.
The presence of organized queues, working BIVAS is not proof of a reliable election
Citizen Monitors, a civic tech platform focused on crowdsourcing and verifying real-time electoral data, cautioned against treating vote buying as a common feature of Nigerian elections, following reports of financial inducement during the Anambra governorship poll.
The group's communications chief, Olajumoke Alawode-James, described the election as superficially peaceful and orderly, but it was marred by widespread allegations of cash exchange at polling units, voter intimidation and micro-coercion.
“Anambra has voted. On paper, the election looked calm and orderly. But from what many voters, observers, and online reports are reporting, another story emerges: cash is quietly moving, bags are being changed, and there is subtle pressure around polling units,” the statement said.
Citizen Monitors said the presence of orderly queues and working voting machines does not equate to a reliable process if financial inducements remain unchecked.
The group added, “You can have neat queues, working machines and signed result sheets, yet run a process where the real competition is who can buy people's frustration.”
Experts said the Anambra election has become an early test of leadership, defining Amupitan's job around three urgent demands: preventing inducements, ensuring credible collation of results and rebuilding public confidence in the electoral process.
It is believed that INEC's response to post-election complaints could set the tone for future elections under their watch.
CSOs want reforms before 2027
Ahead of future elections, several civil society organizations have stated that the National Assembly should accelerate pending legislative reforms aimed at improving political participation, election management and prosecution of electoral crimes.
Several election monitoring groups including Yiaga Africa, Center for Transparency Advocacy, Center for Democracy and Development, Kimpact Development Initiative set up election day data rooms, deployed a number of accredited electoral observers to 5,718 polling units in the 21 local government areas of the state.
Bukola Idowu, team lead of the Kimpact Development Initiative, said evidence from the field suggests a worrying level of tacit consent among many political parties in perpetuating this practice.
Idowu said one of the most worrying incidents witnessed at the polling units was widespread interference by political party agents in the voting process.
He said, “Our observations document systematic violations of electoral guidelines by agents mainly representing APGA, APC and YPP. Party agents were observed engaging in blatant vote-buying operations, contacting voters with cash inducements ranging from N3,000 to N10,000, setting up ‘verification points’ where voters received payments after casting their ballots.”
Furthermore, the Coordinators of the Situation Room, Yunusa Yau, Mimidu Achakpa and Franklin Oloniju, call on the National Assembly to expedite pending legislative reforms.
“The 2025 Anambra State governorship election was largely peaceful but could be attributed to public distrust in public institutions and governance.
“Many citizens are still not interested in the process and were seen plying their trade in the markets. However, there has been a notable improvement compared to the 2021 gubernatorial election with regard to the political and security environment,” the group said in a statement.
