The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on media practitioners in Osun State to make the fight against vote buying a major focus of their coverage ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The appeal was made during a one-day Media Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osogbo on Tuesday, where the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, urged journalists to investigate and expose electoral malpractice.
Represented by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, Haruna described vote buying as the most disturbing issue observed during the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, alleging that political actors and their agents offered cash to voters at polling units and, in some instances, distributed numbered vouchers redeemable away from voting centres.
He said journalists should gather evidence capable of supporting prosecution by documenting incidents with precision.
“Reporters should capture names, locations, amounts involved and the structure of coordination in their investigations,” he said, adding that such reports would strengthen efforts to prosecute offenders.
The National Commissioner cited Section 22 of the Electoral Act 2026, stating that anyone convicted of vote trading faces a fine of not less than N5 million, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, as well as a 10-year ban from contesting public office.
He explained that evidence gathered by the media would support enforcement efforts involving INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service.
According to him, editors should assign
