***Announces dates for primaries
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Apparently concerned over the rising incidence of vote-buying and delegate manipulation during party primaries, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to intensify efforts to curb the menace.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the call during the Commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs held at the Conference Hall of the Commission in Abuja on Tuesday.
Prompt News reports that the meeting which brought together CSO leaders and top INEC officials, focused on preparations for the upcoming Anambra State Governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election slated for February 21, 2026.
Yakubu expressed disappointment in the ways political parties conduct their primary elections, saying that the issue of vote buying and delegate manipulation have taken the center stage of the Nigeria elections just as he highlighted the growing trend of aspirants bribing delegates during party primaries.
“Some delegates openly boast of how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries,” Yakubu revealed, urging CSOs to expand their monitoring efforts beyond general elections to include party primaries.
Said he: “It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries”. The issue of vote buying has remained a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s electoral process, with reports of voters being offered money or other incentives to influence their choices at the polls.
The practice not only undermines the credibility of elections but also erodes public trust in the democratic process”.
The INEC boss acknowledged the consistent efforts of CSOs in monitoring elections and their actionable recommendations to combat vote buying at polling units. However, he emphasized the need for a broader approach to address the root causes of electoral malpractice, particularly during the nomination process.
“Only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on Election Day,” Yakubu noted, underscoring the importance of ensuring transparency and integrity in party primaries.
Meanwhile, the INEC Chairman has disclosed that the Anambra State Governorship election, which is the next major electoral activity on INEC’s calendar, will see political parties conduct their primaries from March 20 to April 10, 2025.
Similarly, he revealed that the FCT Area Council election, which will elect six Chairmen and 62 Councilors, is scheduled for February 21, 2026.
Yakubu called on CSOs to actively engage in monitoring these processes to ensure compliance with electoral laws and regulations.
The leadership of the CSOs present at the meeting welcomed INEC’s call for greater vigilance and pledged to step up their monitoring efforts ahead of the upcoming elections and pledged to work closely with INEC and other stakeholders to ensure that the electoral process is free, fair, and credible.
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