Thursday October 1, 2026
By SituationREPORT
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has raised concerns over the deployment of illicit funds, including proceeds from drug trafficking, cybercrime and stolen public funds, to finance elections in Nigeria.
The Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, also pledged to intensify efforts to tackle vote buying and selling as part of measures to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
They spoke on Wednesday at a Stakeholder Roundtable on Electoral Reform and Youth Participation, organised by Kimpact Development Initiative, KDI, in Abuja.
Representing the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, a senior operative of the Commission, Adikwu Micheal, said the agency was concerned about the implications of unchecked vote buying.
“We at the Commission are interested in vote buying and selling. I have been involved in elections since 2003, even before I joined the EFCC. INEC reforms have made the voter’s card valuable,” he said.
Micheal also lamented attacks on EFCC operatives during election-related enforcement activities, saying some of the attacks were carried out by voters rather than political thugs.
“Sadly, our operatives are now being attacked not by thugs — thugs are people hired by politicians — but by voters themselves,” he said.
He recalled that in 2023, EFCC operatives arrested a person allegedly buying votes with cash, after which voters attacked their vehicle.
“It took the intervention of the Army and Police to save our men. For us, it is safety first,” he said.
Micheal added that during a recent local government election in Gwagwalada, Abuja, security personnel had to intervene to ensure the safety of EFCC operatives.
He urged stakeholders to intensify public enlightenment and discourage voters from demanding payment in exchange for their votes.
The EFCC official also warned about the possible use of illicit funds to influence electoral contests.
“You may have a situation where drug money, stolen public funds and even money from yahoo — cybercrime — is being used to fund elections,” he said.
He warned that unchecked deployment of illicit funds could undermine the principle of popular choice in elections.
“If we allow this to continue, we may have a situation where not a popular person per se but the richest person on the ballot wins the elections,” he said.