The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has deployed 200 armed operatives to combat vote buying during Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states.
Mr Farouk Dogondaji, the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Commander, revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Thursday.
“We have deployed 50 personnel to monitor the conduct of the election in Kano state, 50 in Jigawa and 50 in Katsina state to prevent vote buying throughout the electoral process,” he said.
The remaining officers were deployed to Malam Aminu Kano International airport in Kano and the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Airport Katsina.
” We will be visible in nine senatorial districts of the Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states to carefully monitor the entire exercise during and after elections.
“We will be physically present at collection centres to prevent tempering with results from local government level to state.
“We are carefully monitoring the entire exercise along with state security agencies towards providing peaceful atmosphere for eligible residents to elect leaders of their choice in our areas of supervision.”
He said that the deployment was part of the commission’s commitment towards ensuring credible and transparent elections in the zone.
He explained that the Commission, along with sister security agencies, would provide an atmosphere conducive for eligible residents to exercise their civil rights at all polling units.
The Zonal Commander said that the EFCC had also adopted measures that would make it difficult for any person or group to tamper with results of the elections.
Dogondaji called on the personnel to be thorough and professional in carrying out the national assignment.
“Our presence is to credibly add value to the electoral process by preventing vote buying and change of results at collaboration centres to pave way for the electorate to elect leaders of their choice through democratic process,” he said.
The EFCC commander said that the aim of the operation was to give Nigerians the opportunity to, without any form of inducement, elect credible leaders committed to the growth and development of the country.
He called on parents not to allow their children to be used as political thugs as any one found wanting would be arrested and prosecuted. (NAN)
