The National Bureau of Statistics confirmed that there was a significant increase in vote-buying during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.

According to the NBS report titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends – Third Survey on Corruption as Experienced by the Population,” 22% of voters reported being offered money in exchange for their vote, which is a 5% increase from the 17% reported in the 2019 elections.

The report, released on July 11, revealed that 22% of Nigerian citizens were personally offered money to vote for a particular candidate or party before or during the 2023 elections, while 9% were offered other types of favors. NBS described vote-buying as a form of corruption, stating, “This represents an increase in both types of vote buying compared with 2019 when personal offers of money were reported by 17% and personal offers of other favors were reported by 4% of citizens.”

Additionally, the report noted that in 2023, 10% of citizens were not personally offered money or favors, but another member of their household was approached, compared to 5% in 2019. Despite these offers, some voters were not influenced by the money or favors they received.

“Just over half (55%) of the citizens who were personally offered money or another favor in exchange for their vote in the 2023 general election reported that the offer did not influence their vote choice,” the report stated. “However, 40% of those citizens said they voted for the person or political party which offered them money or a favor precisely because of the offer.”

The NBS report also highlighted that the increase in vote-buying was consistent across different sexes, urban and rural areas, and age groups between 2019 and 2023. In terms of geographical regions, there were minimal to no changes in the South-West, South-South, and North-Central parts of the country. However, the North-West region saw a significant rise in vote-buying, increasing from 23% in 2019 to 44% in 2023, with a high share of 55% of citizens being offered money or favors for their votes.

Commenting on the report, Yiaga Africa, a pro-democracy and civic engagement organization, stated, “Vote-buying remains a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”