We’ve placed top politicians under surveillance to check vote-buying - EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is tracking
financing of campaign by political parties, as part of new measures to
tackle vote-buying.
Wilson Uwajuren, EFCC spokesman, said this in a statement on Friday. He
said the anti-graft agency is out to prosecute anyone involved in the
practice of vote-buying.
Uwajuren said those offering financial inducements for votes as well as
those receiving such money would be held culpable and prosecuted.
Nigeria’s elections have been seriously marred with financial
inducements, the last of such being the Ekiti state governorship
election.
Uwajuren said the commission had mobilised its investigative resources
to monitor campaign financing by political parties in Osun.
“As part of the commission’s proactive efforts in securing the integrity
of the electoral process and preventing the exercise from being used as
avenue for money laundering, the EFCC has already launched massive, but
discreet, surveillance of the financial flows of all the actors in the
various political parties,” the statement read.
“The tracking process which is ongoing, will continue till all the scheduled elections are concluded.”
He quoted Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the commission, as saying the
move is part of a collaborative initiative that will see the EFCC join
forces with other law enforcement agencies to enforce compliance of
provisions of the electoral act which criminalises financial inducement
by political parties and their candidates.
“We will be working with all stakeholders especially from the security
and intelligence community to stop the practice of vote buying and other
financial malpractices that undermine the integrity of our elections,”
Magu was quoted as saying.
“It is important to state here that those who offer bribes for votes are
as guilty as those who receive such gratifications. My candid advice to
the electorates is to be vigilant and resist the temptation to sell
their votes.
“After the widely acclaimed peaceful transfer of power from a sitting
president, who was the candidate of the then ruling party, to the
candidate of the opposition party in 2015, the 2019 general election
offers Nigeria the opportunity to deepen her emerging democratic culture
that is free and participatory. We must guard this process by shunning
all forms of electoral malpractices.”
Magu said the commission would not take any step that is not sanctioned
by law, adding, however, that “no one who collects money to rig election
will be spared.”
The Nigeria police force had also warned against the financial inducement during election, threatening to prosecute offenders.
Earlier on Friday, Olusegun Agbaje, resident electoral commissioner
(REC) of INEC in Osun, said there would be serious problem in 2019 if
the menace of vote-buying is not tackled.
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