EFCC steps up action against vote buying, deploys teams

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has deployed its personnel across the states where Governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on Saturday.

The EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the move was to ensure that the elections were devoid of financial malpractice, especially inducement of voters.

According to him, the teams led by senior officers began arriving at their assigned locations earlier on Friday.

He said a number of them, on arrival, held consultation with the other security agencies involved in election security and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Uwajaren said that the team for Ebonyi State arrived Abakaliki and met with the Commissioner of Police at the State Headquarters, to register their presence.

He said they, thereafter, proceeded to the State INEC Headquarters for a brief meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

”Officers of Kaduna Zonal Command led by ACEII Mustapha Abubakar who are on election monitoring mission to Niger State also met the Commissioner of Police, J.A Ogundele, to register their presence in the state.

”They also visited the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Niger State, Ahmed Yusha’u Garki.

”Officers of the Abuja Zonal Command on election monitoring duty in Nasarawa State, led by ACE II Adeniyi Adebayo, also registered their presence at the Nigeria Police Command Lafia,” he said.

According to him, they also had a brief meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

The spokesman said that the brief of the teams was to deter vote trading and other financial malpractice that could compromise the integrity of the elections.

He said that the Executive Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had, in a message to the teams before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, charged them to exhibit a high sense of integrity and professionalism in carrying out their duties.

“You are out on a national assignment and I expect you to conduct yourselves responsibly in line with our core values of professionalism, integrity and courage.

”You have a responsibility to ensure that this election is devoid of financial malpractices, especially inducement of voters.

”The attention of the world is focused on Nigeria and we must do what is necessary to ensure that we have credible, free and fair elections,“ he quoted Bawa as saying.