2027 elections: Governorship aspirants spent ₦30bn on primaries, says EFCC chairman

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that some governorship aspirants in Nigeria spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion to secure electoral victory.

He warned that the trend poses a serious threat to democratic governance and fuels corruption in public office.

Olukoyede spoke on Wednesday in Ilorin at the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, CPSS, University of Ilorin.

The theme was “De-risking and Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria”.

—“Huge spending forces officials to divert public funds”—

The EFCC chairman said huge financial resources deployed during elections often compel elected officials to divert public funds after assuming office to recover their investments.

“The commercialisation of votes weakens the foundation of good governance because it compromises the political recruitment process. Leaders who buy their way into office are more likely to focus on recovering their investments rather than serving the public interest,” he said.

According to him, the huge financial outlay required to win elections creates pressure on public office holders to divert public funds after assuming office.

—EFCC to deploy drones for 2027 polls—

Olukoyede said the EFCC remains committed to tackling vote-buying and other forms of financial inducement that undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He stated that the anti-graft agency had made several arrests across the country over vote-buying and related electoral offences, with a number of convictions already secured.

Those prosecuted include politicians, electoral officials and ordinary citizens found culpable of electoral misconduct.

The EFCC chairman warned that impunity in the electoral process could undermine democracy and national stability, stressing that there must be no sacred cows in the enforcement of electoral laws.

He also disclosed that the commission plans to deploy drones and other technological tools to strengthen election monitoring ahead of the 2027 general elections. This will be used particularly to track vote-buying and financial inducements at polling units.

—Call for issue-based campaigns—

Olukoyede called on political parties and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns and reject inflammatory rhetoric capable of inciting violence.

He urged stakeholders, including INEC, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and political actors, to work collaboratively to ensure peaceful, free and credible elections.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, described electoral corruption as a major threat to national security and democratic development. He said credible elections are essential for national stability, economic growth and public confidence in governance.

Director of CPSS, Professor G.A. Animasawun, said the lecture series was conceived to provide a platform for proactive engagement on threats to Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of 2027.