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According to report by The Nation on Saturday, June 20, 2026, prominent activist Aisha Yesufu has stirred fresh debate on Nigeria’s electoral integrity following her comments on vote-buying during the Ekiti State governorship election.
Speaking on Saturday, June 20, 2026, Yesufu reacted to widespread allegations of voter inducement reported in several parts of the state.
She expressed concern over what she described as the consistent failure of institutions responsible for enforcing electoral laws to curb the practice.
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According to her, the persistence of vote-buying, despite its illegality, has created an uneven playing field in which candidates who refuse to engage in financial inducement are often disadvantaged, while those accused of distributing money continue to gain political advantage.
In a post shared on X, she controversially suggested that if authorities are unable or unwilling to stop the practice, then vote-buying should be openly decriminalised.
She argued that the current situation renders electoral laws ineffective and selectively punishes only compliant politicians.
Yesufu further warned that if the trend continues unchecked, political campaigns and policy discussions may lose their significance.
In her view, elections could eventually be reduced to a simple financial auction on voting day, where the highest bidder secures victory regardless of ideas or competence.
She lamented that rather than spending heavily on campaign outreach and voter education, politicians might as well prepare their funds solely for Election Day bargaining if the system remains unchanged.
Her comments came amid multiple unverified reports of cash inducement in parts of Ekiti State during the ongoing governorship poll.
Various political actors and election observers have alleged instances of voters being offered money in exchange for support.
The activist also questioned the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms deployed by electoral and anti-corruption agencies during elections, insisting that their presence has not significantly deterred voter inducement.
She maintained that continued allegations of vote trading pose a serious threat to democratic credibility and weaken citizens’ confidence in the electoral process.
Vote-buying remains a criminal offence under Nigerian electoral law, though enforcement has been widely criticised as inconsistent across elections nationwide.
