Abia State Gov. Alex Otti urged voters to refuse potential cash and food gifts ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election, Vanguard and Punch reported, as national poverty remains high.
Chief of Staff Caleb Ajagba represented Otti at an Anglican synod in Aba on Oct. 11, the outlets reported. Otti’s appeal named ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 in cash, rice and wrappers as gifts voters might be offered. The reports did not document particular offers or payments.
The World Bank’s October 2026 presentation put Nigeria’s national poverty rate at 40.1% in its 2018/19 survey and 56.2% in its 2022/23 survey. The measure is based on the cost of essential food and nonfood goods and services.
In April, the bank projected a national poverty rate of 63% for 2026. Its Oct. 8 update said economic growth had stabilized the rate for the first time since 2019 and that it expected poverty to decline gradually. The update gave no new exact rate.
Section 125 of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 makes it a bribery offense to corruptly offer a gift to influence a vote or accept one in return for voting.
The poverty figures and reporting on Otti’s appeal do not quantify whether hardship affects voters’ willingness to accept campaign gifts or whether the gifts change their votes.
