2027: Governorship Aspirants Spent Up to ₦30bn on Primaries, EFCC Raises Alarm.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that some governorship aspirants in Nigeria spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion to secure victories during party primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) of the University of Ilorin, Olukoyede warned that the growing monetisation of the electoral process poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and fuels corruption in public office.
According to the EFCC boss, politicians or Governorship Aspirants who spend huge sums to secure elective positions often come under pressure to recover their “investments” after assuming office, leading to the diversion of public resources meant for development.
He disclosed that the anti-graft agency has already made several arrests nationwide over vote-buying and other electoral offences, with a number of convictions secured involving politicians, electoral officials and other individuals found guilty of electoral misconduct.
Olukoyede further announced that the commission plans to deploy drones and other technological tools to strengthen election monitoring ahead of the 2027 polls, particularly to track vote-buying and financial inducement at polling units.
He urged political parties and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns, shun inflammatory rhetoric, and work with stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society groups and the media, to ensure peaceful, free and credible elections in Nigeria.
