The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it is identifying and tracking individuals who allegedly chased its operatives away from a polling unit during the recent governorship election in Ekiti State.
According to The PUNCH, officials of the anti-graft agency described the incident as an unlawful obstruction of its duties and warned that those involved could face sanctions if found culpable.
Speaking on the development, an EFCC official said the commission viewed the action as a challenge to its statutory role of monitoring electoral offences, particularly vote-buying.
“We consider the action unacceptable and unlawful. The commission will not condone criminality. We are on the lookout for those involved,” the official said.
The source expressed concern that allowing such incidents to go unchecked could undermine future election monitoring efforts.
“The action of those voters has set a dangerous precedent. If such conduct is allowed to continue, it could embolden others to obstruct law enforcement officers carrying out legitimate assignments during elections,” the official stated.
According to the source, the commission is reviewing the incident and may take further action against those responsible.
“If that is the case, we will seriously look into it and the actors in that scenario. We will ensure that we locate them and see what we can do. People cannot simply decide to frustrate officials of the commission who are carrying out their statutory responsibilities,” the official added.
The EFCC also reaffirmed its commitment to combating vote-buying and other electoral malpractices despite resistance from some members of the public.
“We insist that vote-buying is wrong, and we are not going to condone it. We are not going to allow anybody to intimidate us. We will not succumb to any form of harassment,” the source said.
The official further stressed that the agency would continue to monitor elections across the country in line with its mandate.
“We will continue to fight vote-buying and sanitise the electoral process. That responsibility has been entrusted to us, and we will not abandon it because of threats or resistance from any quarter,” the source noted.
The incident occurred during Saturday’s governorship election at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, in Iyin-Ekiti, where EFCC operatives were reportedly deployed to monitor compliance with electoral laws.
Witnesses said some voters questioned the presence of the anti-corruption officials and challenged their role at the polling unit, leading to a confrontation that eventually forced the operatives to leave the area.
Despite the disagreement, voting reportedly continued peacefully after the officials withdrew.
The EFCC has increasingly deployed personnel to elections nationwide as part of efforts to curb vote-buying and other forms of financial inducement that threaten the credibility of the electoral process.
The incident has, however, raised concerns within the commission about the safety of its personnel and the challenges associated with enforcing electoral laws during elections.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.
