Governorship Aspirants Spent Up to ₦30bn on Primaries, Says EFCC Chairman
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that some governorship aspirants spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion during party primaries, warning that the trend poses a grave threat to democratic governance and fuels corruption in public office.
Speaking on Wednesday while delivering the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Olukoyede said politicians who invest huge sums in elections often seek to recover their expenditure after assuming office.
He delivered a lecture titled, “De-risking and Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria.”
According to him, the huge financial outlay required to secure electoral victories creates pressure on office holders to divert public funds.
“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.
Olukoyede said the anti-graft agency remained committed to tackling vote-buying and other forms of financial inducement capable of undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He disclosed that the commission had made several arrests nationwide over vote-buying and related offences and had secured a number of convictions involving politicians, electoral officials, and ordinary citizens.
The EFCC chairman warned that impunity within the electoral process could undermine democracy and national stability, stressing that no individual should be above the law.
He also revealed plans by the commission to deploy drones and other technological tools to strengthen election monitoring ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in tracking vote-buying and financial inducements at polling units.
Olukoyede urged political parties and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns and shun inflammatory rhetoric capable of provoking violence.
He called on stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media, and political actors, to work together to ensure peaceful, free, and credible elections.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), described electoral corruption as a major threat to national security and democratic development.
Egbewole said credible elections were essential for national stability, economic growth, and public confidence in governance, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between academic institutions and agencies responsible for safeguarding electoral integrity.
In his welcome address, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Prof. 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 the 2027 polls.
He added that the initiative would bring together policymakers, security experts, electoral officials, civil society groups, and scholars to develop practical solutions for peaceful and credible elections.
The event attracted representatives of security agencies, electoral bodies, civil society organisations, members of the academic community, and students.
