INEC warns vote buyers, sellers face ₦5m fine, two-year jail term

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Head of Legal Services at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara State, Abdulfatai Atata, said the amended 2026 Electoral Act has increased the penalty for vote buying and selling from a ₦500,000 fine to a ₦5 million fine, or a minimum of two years imprisonment, or both, with offenders also facing a 10-year disqualification from contesting elections.

Atata disclosed this on Thursday at a seminar organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, titled Dissecting the Amended Electoral Act 2026: Innovations and Their Implications, held in Ilorin.

He urged Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the amended Electoral Act, stressing that ignorance of the law would not excuse anyone from sanctions for violating its provisions.

Furthermore, Atata said the law provides a clear framework for the conduct of elections and emphasises the need for timely release of election funds to enable the electoral process to run smoothly and allow eligible voters to exercise their franchise.

He also explained that the amended law streamlines acceptable means of identification for voters, including birth certificates, National Identity Cards and driver’s licences, describing the changes as important measures to improve the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Adejumo Peter, dismissed claims that politicians could influence elections by stockpiling Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), saying such beliefs belong to the past and no longer reflect Nigeria’s electoral system.

Also speaking, the Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said the new provisions reinforce the principle of one person, one vote, while urging political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and accept election outcomes in the spirit of sportsmanship.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Biola Azeez, said the seminar was organised to equip journalists with a better understanding of the amended Electoral Act 2026 to promote public enlightenment and ensure accurate and responsible election reporting.