Politics
INEC commends EFCC, NSCDC for checking vote-buyers in Ekiti election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday promised to continue working with relevant agencies in the efforts at improving the country’s electoral process.
The commission was reacting to the arrest of party agents and other individuals for involvement in vote-buying by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement issued in Abuja, commended the EFCC and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for dealing with vote-buyers during the election.
He said: “I don’t agree with the notion that vote-buying was very rampant during the just concluded Ekiti governorship election. There are 2,445 polling units across the 16 local government areas in the state. How many of them witnessed vote-buying?
READ ALSO: SERAP asks INEC to prosecute vote-buyers in Ekiti election
“However, some vote-buying and selling did take place. The Commission took some proactive measures against vote-buying in the past, which included banning the use of cell phones or photographic equipment in the polling booths, reconfiguring the booths, and changing the position of the ballot boxes.
“In addition, the Commission invited the EFCC and the ICPC to join the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). It was heart-warming to see some EFCC and NSCDC officers move against voter buyers during the election.
“The Commission will continue to do the needful to curb the vice.”
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