A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Festus Okoye, has warned that vote buying and insecurity could heavily influence the outcome of the 2027 general election.

He spoke on Saturday during a virtual masterclass organised by the Lagos chapter of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters.

Okoye said the practice had evolved from discreet cash distributions disguised as empowerment programmes into more open transactions at polling units.

Voters, he said, can now collect money from multiple political actors at the same polling location, a development that makes the practice increasingly difficult to detect and curb.

The former commissioner said the level of personnel and resources deployed during off-cycle elections might not be replicated across the country during a general election, and that this could pose a major challenge in communities already affected by insecurity.

He said the situation raised questions about how elections would be conducted and results collated in areas where insecurity prevents normal electoral activity.

Okoye identified party primaries as another area of concern, saying the control of primaries by governors had left some politicians dissatisfied and prompted them to seek alternative political platforms.

He also expressed concern over the growing perception that the judiciary has become the institution that ultimately confers political mandates after elections, warning that such a perception could further erode public confidence in the electoral process.

Okoye urged broadcast journalists to strengthen their investigative and legal knowledge ahead of 2027, saying they must understand the constitutional, legal and operational issues surrounding elections in order to hold political actors accountable and report the polls accurately.

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