Vote Trading: EFCC Deploys Teams For Guber, Assembly Polls

 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has deployed personnel of the anti-graft agency across the States of the Federation where the governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the teams led by senior officers began arriving at their assigned locations earlier on Friday, March 17, with a number of them holding consultations with the other security agencies involved in election security and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said the team for Ebonyi State, arrived Abakaliki and met with the Commissioner of Police at the State headquarters, to register their presence before proceeding to the state INEC headquarters for a brief meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

Officers of Kaduna Zonal Command of the Commission 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 REC in State, Ahmed Yusha’u Garki.

Officers from 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 in Lafia, and had a brief meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

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

Recall that the executive chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had in a message to the teams before the presidential and National Assembly elections of February 25, charged them to exhibit a high sense of integrity and professionalism in carrying out their duties.

He said, “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.”