EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede has said some governorship aspirants spend between ₦20 billion and ₦30 billion to win party primaries in Nigeria, warning that the trend fuels corruption in governance.

He spoke on Wednesday at the University of Ilorin Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies lecture series themed “De-risking and Mobilising Critical Stakeholders for Peaceful and Credible 2027 Elections in Nigeria.”

Olukoyede said the high cost of elections pushes officeholders to divert public funds after taking office, describing vote-buying and political monetisation as threats to democracy. He added that the EFCC has made arrests and secured convictions in electoral fraud cases involving politicians, officials and voters.

He also disclosed plans to deploy drones and other technology to monitor vote-buying ahead of the 2027 elections, while urging political actors to embrace issue-based campaigns.

University of Ilorin Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), and CPSS Director, Prof. G.A. Animasawun, also called for stronger collaboration to ensure credible elections.