The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Alumni Association of the National Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) have pledged to work together to ensure credible elections by tackling vote buying and other electoral fraud.
The announcement came on Wednesday, during a courtesy visit by AANISS President Mike Ejiofor and other executives to the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Speaking on the visit, Ejiofor highlighted the topic of the upcoming 2026 AANISS Annual Lecture, “Credible Elections in Nigeria and National Security,” noting the connection between free, fair elections and national security.
“I must commend the EFCC, because I see the arrests you made over vote buying, which is the greatest challenge we are facing right now in the electoral process. I must commend you,” Ejiofor said. He urged the Commission to strengthen its efforts as the 2027 elections approach and offered AANISS’ support through consultancy and advisory roles.
In response, Olukoyede emphasized the EFCC’s commitment to combating vote buying. “With regards to the 2027 general election, we are not going to wait until election day to go into action. Contingent planning and intelligence gathering are crucial to tackle fraudulent actors in any electoral process,” he said.
Olukoyede also stressed the link between national security and financial crimes, urging collaboration: “There’s this strong link between national security and financial crimes and that is where we need our collaboration. We need to collaborate and synergize. We need you to support the agencies to ensure that we fulfil our mandate.”
The EFCC chairman highlighted prevention, asset recovery, and proactive monitoring of public funds as central to the Commission’s strategy against corruption and vote buying.
The partnership marks a strategic step towards safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and strengthening national security ahead of 2027.