2027: Lagos REC moves to curb vote-buying, illegal campaign financing

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State has pledged to strengthen measures to curb vote-buying, illicit campaign financing and other electoral offences ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Professor Ayobami Salami, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing on the commission’s preparations for the elections.

Salami said INEC was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the National Electoral Integrity Unit (NEIU) and the Federal Ministry of Justice to tackle electoral offences.

He added that engagements with political parties on financial reporting, auditing and compliance with campaign finance regulations would be intensified between October 28, 2026, and January 1, 2027.

The REC urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and in accordance with the law.

As part of efforts to improve voter access to Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Salami announced the introduction of a QR code to help eligible voters locate designated collection centres across Lagos State.

“INEC Lagos State Office has also provided a QR code to help voters locate designated PVC collection centres. I encourage eligible voters to collect their cards promptly and safeguard them, as the PVC remains essential for accreditation on Election Day,” he said.

Salami said PVCs were available for residents who registered between August 25 and December 10, 2025, as well as those who registered between 2011 and 2022 but had yet to collect their cards.

He clarified, however, that PVCs for residents who registered between January 5 and July 26, 2026, were not yet available. He said the commission would announce when the cards were ready through its official communication channels.

On information integrity, the REC expressed concern over the growing use of misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated content, warning that such practices could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

He urged media organisations to verify electoral information through official INEC channels before publication, particularly reports concerning electoral procedures, commission decisions and election results.

“Unofficial projections and privately collated figures must not be presented as results formally declared by authorised electoral officials,” he said.

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Salami disclosed that the media accreditation portal for the 2027 elections was expected to become operational before the end of October, adding that further guidelines would be announced through the commission’s official channels.

He said preparations were also ongoing for the recruitment, training and deployment of electoral personnel, while a mock accreditation and election simulation exercise had been scheduled for November 2026 to assess the commission’s readiness.

On logistics, the REC said electoral personnel and materials would be deployed across 176,846 polling units and 8,809 registration areas nationwide, with support from more than 100,000 vehicles and approximately 4,000 boats.

He said sensitive election materials were expected to reach local government areas 72 hours before Election Day, while deployment to Registration Area Centres and Super Registration Area Centres would be completed by 4 p.m. on the eve of the election.

According to him, INEC’s preparations in Lagos take into account the state’s population density, traffic congestion, riverine communities and other logistical challenges.

He said the commission was addressing transportation, storage, electoral facilities, personnel deployment and contingency arrangements to ensure that polling units commenced operations as scheduled.

The REC also identified voter education and inclusive participation as key priorities, particularly among women, young people and persons with disabilities.

He said the commission’s VEP 2027 Election Project Plan would expand grassroots engagement through community meetings, interactions with tertiary institutions, public debates, mobile cinema and collaboration with the National Orientation Agency.

Accessibility measures, he added, would include Braille materials, EC30 posters, magnifying glasses and sign-language interpretation at state collation centres.

Salami said voter education would continue across communities, markets, educational institutions, religious organisations and other platforms in Lagos, while improvements were being made to electronic result transmission and management.

On election security, he said the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency, was coordinating with other security and intelligence agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).