Polls: EFCC Assures INEC Of Support To Fight Vote Buying, Other Crimes

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has promised to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reduce crimes such as vote buying during elections.

The Kano Zonal Head of the EFCC, Sanusi Mohammed, stated this on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy visit on the Jigawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mahmuda Isah.

A statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, quoted Mohammed as saying, “vote buying is the main purpose of incorporating EFCC in the election monitoring exercise. We are not going to promise you absolute eradication of vote buying, but we assure you that we will do our best to ensure that it is reduced to the minimum.”

On the issue of fraudulent campaign funding, Mohammed urged the national electoral body to always report suspicious financial activities of politicians to the commission,  as the EFCC operated based on credible information.

He also assured INEC that the EFCC would always be available at election locations a few days to election day,  given that some vote buying could take place even before the commencement of elections.

Earlier, Isah had sought the assistance of the anti-graft agency in tracking electoral funding malpractices and vote buying.

He said: “We seek your expertise to track down fraudulent campaign funding and vote buyers, because INEC doesn’t have the power or the necessary expertise to arrest perpetrators of vote buying.”