Section 22
Offences of buying and selling voters’ cards.Any person who—
(a) is in unlawful possession of any voter’s card whether issued in the name of any voter or not; or
(b) sells or attempts to sell or offers to sell any voter’s card whether issued in the name of any voter or not; or
(c) buys or offers to buy any voters’ card whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not more than N500,000 or imprisonment not more than two years or both.
This section criminalises both unlawful possession of a voter’s card and the buying and selling of voters cards either by the persons whose name is on the card or by another person
Vote buying in elections in Nigeria has become a menace even though it is an offence under the law. This provision has done little to deter the act.
Note: Section 117 of the Act dealing with Improper use of voters cards also criminalises the buying, selling and procuring of voters card with a prescribed fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.
See Chatham House Briefing Document published in July 2022 ‘Vote-selling behaviour and democratic dissatisfaction in Nigeria’
Section 117 of the Electoral Act
