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Elections: Know all electoral offences to avoid, their penalties

Published

4 years ago

February 23, 2023

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Nigerians will head to the polls in less than 48 hours for the 2023 general elections to elect leaders in various capacities across the country.

Against this background, it’s critical that the electorate get to intimately understand the laws and what constitutes as electoral offences and how to avoid all that before, during and after the elections.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, anyone in breach of any of these provisions is liable to being arrested and charged to court and prosecuted by INEC after investigation by the relevant Security Agencies.

The offences and corresponding penalties are contained in the Commission’s Electoral Offences and Penalties published in February 2019.

These are some of the electoral offences prescribed by Nigerian Law as of December 31, 2018.

Voter Registration

OFFENCE: Registering more than once, unlawful possession of a voter’s card, selling or buying of voters card

PENALTY: A fine not exceeding N100,000 or imprisonment for one year or both

OFFENCE: Giving false information in any application for registration as a voter

PENALTY: A fine not exceeding N500,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both

OFFENCE: Hindering another person from registering as a voter

PENALTY: A fine not exceeding N500,000 or 5 years imprisonment or both.

OFFENCE: Impersonating a registration official, carrying out registration of persons illegally or forging a registration card

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N1,000,000 or 12 months imprisonment or to both.

Nomination

OFFENCES:

(a) Forging a nomination paper or result form;

(b) Wilfully defacing or destroying a nomination paper or result form;

(d) Signs a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency at the same election

PENALTY: Person who commits an offence under subsection (1) of this section is liable on conviction to a maximum term of imprisonment for 2 years.

Ballot Papers and Ballot Boxes

OFFENCES:

a. Unlawful possession of a ballot paper

b. Illegal printing of ballot papers

c. Illegal production or importation of ballot boxes.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N50,000,000 or for a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years or both.

Disorderly Behaviour at Political Meetings

OFFENCE: To act in a disorderly manner or be in possession of offensive weapon of a political meeting

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for 12 months or both

Improper Use of Voter Card

OFFENCE: Unlawful giving of a voter’s card to some other person for use at an election other than, an officer appointed to do so; being in possession of more than one voters cards

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for 12 months or both

Improper Use of Vehicles

OFFENCE: Conveying any person to a registration office or to a polling unit by government vehicle or boat, except in respect of a person who is entitled to use such vehicle or boat

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000.00 or imprisonment for six months or both

Impersonation and Voting when not Qualified

OFFENCE: A person voting or attempting to vote at an election when he/she is not qualified, or inducing a person to vote at an election knowing that such person is not qualified.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.

Dereliction of Duty/ False result

OFFENCE: A Polling Officer failing to report on time or to discharge his duties on an election day without lawful excuse

PENALTY: On conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.

OFFENCE: Announces or publishing a false election result

PENALTY: 36 months imprisonment.

Announcing or Publishing A False Election Result

OFFENCE: Returning Officer or Collation Officer or person delivering a false certificate of return.

PENALTY: 3 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Bribery and Conspiracy: Vote Buying

OFFENCES

a. Paying money to any other person for bribery at any election. On conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.

b. Receiving any money or gift, for voting or to refrain from voting at any election.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for 12 months or both

Requirement of Secrecy in Voting

OFFENCES:

a. Not maintaining the secrecy of voting at a polling unit.

b. Interfering with a voter casting his vote

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 6 months or both.

Wrongful Voting and False Statements

OFFENCES:

a. Illegal voting at an election

b. Publishing any statement of the withdrawal of a candidate or about his personal character.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of 6 months or both.

Voting by Unregistered Persons

OFFENCE: To bring into a polling unit during an election a voter’s card issued to another person

PENALTY: A fine of N100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 6 months or both.

Disorderly Conducts at Elections

OFFENCE: Inciting others to act in a disorderly manner

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

OFFENCES:

Within a distance of 300 meters of a polling unit

a. Canvassing for votes, persuading any voter not to vote for any particular candidate or being in possession of any offensive weapon, wear or display any notice, symbol, photograph or party card

b. Using any vehicle bearing the colour or symbol of a political, loitering around a polling unit blaring siren.

PENALTY: A fine of N 100,000 or imprisonment for a term of 6 months.

OFFENCE: Snatching or destruction of any election material

PENALTY: 24 months imprisonment.

Undue Influence

OFFENCE: Accepting money or any other inducement during an election.

PENALTY: A fine of N 100,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

Threatening

OFFENCES:

a. Threatening a person with violence or injury to compel that person to vote or refrain from voting

b. Preventing any political aspirant from free use of the media vehicles, mobilization of political support and campaign at an election;

PENALTY: A fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 3 years.

Campaign and Campaign Finance

OFFENCE: Unlawful possession of a weapon at a political rally or voting centre

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N2,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 2 years or both.

OFFENCE: Threatening any person with violence during any political campaign

PENALTY: In the case of an individual, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months. In case of a political party, a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N500,000 for any subsequent offence.

OFFENCES:

Campaigning in public earlier than 90 days before polling day or ending it less than 24 hours to the election.

A political party, advertising in a newspaper , radio or TV less than 24 hours before polling day

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000

OFFENCES:

Employing State apparatus including the media to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.

Unequal allocation of Media time among political parties or candidates

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 in the first instance and to a maximum fine of N1,000,000.00 for subsequent conviction.

OFFENCE: Broadcasting or publishing any material for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular political party or a candidate during 24 hours immediately preceding or on polling day.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 12 months and in case of a body corporate shall pay a maximum fine of N1,000,000

Offences relating to finances of a political party

OFFENCE: A Political Party possessing any fund outside or retaining funds or other asset remitted to it from outside Nigeria

PENALTY: Forfeiture of the funds or assets to the Commission and in addition may be liable to a fine of not less than N500,000.

Limitations on Election Expenses and Contribution to a Political Party

OFFENCE: A Presidential Candidate incurring more than N1,000,000,000 as election expenses.

PENALTY: Presidential election, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both

OFFENCE: A Governorship candidate incurring more than N200,000,000

PENALTY: Governorship election to a fine of N800.000 or imprisonment for a term of 9 months or both

OFFENCE: A Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates exceeding N40,000,000 and N20,000,000 respectively.

PENALTY: Senatorial election to a fine of N600,000 or imprisonment for a term of 6 months or both House of Representatives election to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of 5 months or both;

OFFENCE: A candidate for State Assembly election spending more than N10,000,000.

PENALTY: State House of Assembly election to a fine of N300,000 or imprisonment for a term of 3 months or both;

OFFENCE: A candidate for Chairmanship of an Area Council incurring more than ten million naira N10,000,000

PENALTY: In the case of Chairmanship election, to a fine of N300,000 or imprisonment for a term of 3 months or both

OFFENCE: In the case of Councillorship election to an Area Council, exceeding more than the maximum of election expenses of one million naira N1,000,000

PENALTY: Councillorship election, to a fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of one month or both

OFFENCE: An individual or other entity donating more than N1,000,000 to any candidate.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of 9 months or both.

OFFENCES:

Aiding a candidate to forge or falsify a document relating to his expenditure at an election Imprisonment for a term of 10 years.

Refusal by a political party to submit its election expenses to INEC in a separate audited return within 6 months after an election

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N1,000,000 and in the case of failure to submit an accurate audited return within the stipulated period, the court may impose a maximum penalty of N200,000 per day on any party for the period after the return was due until it is submitted to the Commission.

OFFENCE: A political party shall not incur election expenses beyond the limit stipulated in this Act. A political party which contravenes this subsection commits an offence and is liable on conviction.

PENALTY: A maximum fine of N1,000,000 and forfeiture to the Commission of the amount by which the expenses exceed the limit set by the Commission.

Related Topics:ELECTIONS ELECTORAL OFFENCES PENALTIES

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

Published

12 hours ago

November 2, 2026

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

News

Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

Published

19 hours ago

November 2, 2026

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

Published

2 days ago

November 1, 2026

admin

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.