The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that some governorship aspirants spent between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion during the last primary elections, warning that such spending undermines democracy and fuels corruption in public office.
Speaking at the inaugural High-Level Guest Speakers’ Series organized by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Olukoyede said the massive financial outlay often pressures elected officials to divert public funds once in office to recover campaign expenses.
“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 stated.
Olukoyede confirmed that the EFCC has already made several arrests across the country for vote-buying and other electoral offences, with convictions secured against politicians, electoral officials, and citizens.
He warned
This post was originally published on this site.
