Reports from our observers in multiple polling units across Anambra State indicate a worrying prevalence of vote buying and voter inducement in today’s governorship election. We have also received reports of the harassment of our journalists in the field. These activities undermine the integrity of the electoral process and erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
Some of the polling units where our observers noticed vote-buying are:
- Anambra East – RA 13 – PU 6; RA 14 -PU 12; RA 13 – PU 6; Umuleri PU 13
- Ihiala – RA 18 – PUs 01 & 07
- Onitsha North – RA 8 – PU 7
- Orumba North – RA 17 -PU 20; RA 02 – PU 12,13 and 14
The Electoral Act 2022 explicitly prohibits vote buying. Section 127(a) states that:
“A person who corruptly …. directly or indirectly gives or provides or pays money to or for any person for corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting at such election, or on account of such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting at such election”
Similarly, Section 127(b) provides that:
“A person who, being a voter, corruptly accepts or takes money or any other inducement during any of the period stated in paragraph (a), commits an offence.”
The law further prescribes penalties for offenders. Section 127(b) states that upon conviction, an offender is:
“liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both”
Despite the clarity of these provisions, enforcement remains weak. We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in collaboration with security agencies, to immediately step up enforcement efforts and ensure that individuals, party agents, and political actors involved in vote buying are arrested and prosecuted without fear or favour. Selective enforcement or post–election inaction will only deepen distrust in the electoral system.
To address the persistent challenge of electoral offences, we further reiterate the longstanding recommendation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, which advocated the establishment of an independent Electoral Offences Commission. Such a body, separate from INEC, should be empowered with investigative and prosecutorial authority to ensure timely and impartial accountability.
Today presents another reminder that credible elections require both strong legal frameworks and uncompromising enforcement. We urge all stakeholders to act decisively to protect the sanctity of the vote and uphold the democratic choice of the people of Anambra State.
Monitoring Digital Space
We have so far verified 17 claims (11 on Friday, Nov 7, and six on Saturday, Nov. 8) between yesterday and today. The prominent theme is politics, but other themes include security, gender and health.
The claims are uncovered in various formats, including text, videos, images, and a combination of both, all sourced from social media. Not surprisingly, the majority of the claims were verified to be false (8), while only 4 were found to be true.
We also observed that most of the claims were from X (10), followed by Facebook (6) and one from Instagram. This is continuous monitoring, with live updates on the DUBAWA/CJID’s Election Disinformation Observatory.
Additionally, we uncovered several coordinated accounts spreading disinformation that exaggerated or fabricated incidents of violence at polling units. Old photos were repurposed to make these narratives more convincing and to discourage voters from turning out. A notable example is an image from seven years ago that was falsely presented as a recent event at an “unnamed” polling unit. We continue to monitor the connections between these accounts and their underlying objectives.
Image 2: A false claim depicting a man allegedly assaulted at a polling unit, the photo was verified to be seven years old.
Image 2: A set of accounts mapped via TweetBinder, identified as spreading fear-based disinformation.
About CJID
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a West African non-profit organisation advancing independent media, civic technology, and democratic accountability. Established in 2014 and headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, CJID works across multiple African countries to strengthen journalism, promote transparency, and combat misinformation.
