#NigeriaDecides2023: ICPC deploys 400 operatives to monitor vote buying

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has deployed 400 officers across the country for the governorship and state of assembly elections.

In a press statement released on Saturday, Azuka Ogugua, spokesperson of the commission, said officers and operatives of the ICPC have been assigned to various wards and polling units to monitor and prevent vote buying and other corrupt practices during the elections.

Ogugua said Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman of the ICPC, told the operatives before their departure that their participation in the election is a call to an exceptional national duty and development.

Owasanoye advised the team to be disciplined and act with integrity while directing them to effectively use body cameras to capture scenes and incidents of compromise.

The chairman charged the officers to follow the ICPC guidelines for election monitoring and comply with the ICCES code of conduct and rules of engagement while carrying out their duties.

“Our relevance is neither an after-thought nor happenstance but arose from the recognition of our contribution to national development through the implementation of our enforcement and preventive mandates in combating corruption and associated ills,” Owasanoye said.

“Our importance led to the Commission being made a member of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) which comprises our sister agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Military, Police, Department of State Security, and other security agencies with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Office of National Security Adviser as co-chairs. All these agencies will monitor the elections.”

The ICPC election monitoring teams are working along with international observers in some polling units in Lagos, Benue, Gombe, Adamawa, Kano, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Enugu, Katsina, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states. 

The anti-corruption agency, during the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections, arrested nine vote-buyers in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom, and Sokoto states.