By Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said the politicians stockpiling permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), are still living in the past noting that “INEC has done a lot to ensure
that nobody can use another person’s PVC to vote in an election.
The electoral umpire made this known during an interactive and enlightenment session organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking, the Head of Voters Education and Publicity, Kwara State INEC, Dr Adejumo Peter assured that the commission is doing everything possible to ensure a credible and widely acceptable election come next year.
“INEC has done a lot so that people cannot use another person’s PVC to vote in an election. That is why some desperate politicians are resulting to vote buying to win an election and this is attract a serious punishment under section 22 of the 2026 newly amended Electoral Act which specifically mention vote buying as a criminal offence for both the buyer and seller and this could lead to 2 years’ imprisonment, five million naira fine or both and it could even lead to a ban of a convicted person from participating in an election for the period of 10 years.
He stated that the commission will ensure that the elections are conducted on a one-man, one-vote basis, and at the end of the exercise, the outcome will reflect the will of the people.
Also speaking on the topic: ‘Dissecting the amended Electoral Act 2026: Innovations, and implications for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections,’ Head, Legal Unit of the commission Abdulfatai Atata said the amended Electoral Act 2026 “marks a transformative moment in the evolution of Nigeria’s electoral framework.”
“As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the Act will serve as both a test and a tool for deepening the country’s democratic governance because it introduces commendable reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening internal party democracy and leveraging technology. At the same time, it raises critical legal and practical questions, particularly regarding constitutional consistency, the enforceability of campaign finance limits, the ouster of judicial jurisdiction over party affairs, and the narrowing of grounds for election petitions.
“Ultimately, the success of these innovations will depend not only on their legislative design, but also on effective implementation, institutional capacity and judicial interpretation.”
