ICPC Cracks Down on Vote Buying in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has sent its agents to watch over the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi on Saturday.
Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, the commission’s spokesperson, made this statement on Thursday in Abuja.
She said that the commission’s agents have been sent to the 56 local government areas and 649 wards in the three states where the election will be held.
She said that the agents were to monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the election.
“The monitoring exercise is a response to the invitation by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for ICPC to participate in ensuring that the electoral processes in these three states are free and fair.”
She said that the ICPC Head of Special Duties Division (SDD), Mr. Alex Chukwura, called on the agents to work with other security agencies during the exercise.
Before deploying the agents, Chukwura instructed them to work with the military, police, Department of State Security, other security agencies, and INEC to ensure that the elections were free and fair.
The SDD head instructed the agents to strictly adhere to the ICPC’s election monitoring procedures.
He also said that officers should always act with discipline and integrity while on the field, stay close together, and work as a team to achieve the desired outcome.
He also advised the officers to take the necessary measures against anyone who commits corruption during the election, regardless of their social status.
“Voters in the three aforementioned states are urged to go out on Election Day and fulfill their civic obligations while avoiding any activity that could lead to electoral or other related offenses,” he said.
