The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has deployed operatives across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to monitor Saturday’s council elections.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the deployment coincides with the conduct of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to Oyewale, the move is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process and curbing vote-buying and other forms of electoral malpractice.
He added that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has directed officers to maintain strict surveillance across all council areas to prevent any financial inducement of voters and ensure transparency.
“The officers are all over the FCT safeguarding the electoral process to ensure transparency and accountable conduct,” the statement said.
Earlier, residents of the FCT trooped out to elect their Area Council chairmen and councillors, with voters gathering at polling units to cast their ballots.
Security agencies, including the police, were deployed across the territory, while movement restrictions were imposed to ensure a smooth exercise.
INEC disclosed that over 1.5 million voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the election.
Unlike the 36 states of the federation, where local government elections are conducted by state electoral commissions under the supervision of governors, council elections in the FCT are conducted by INEC, as the territory is administered by a minister appointed by the President.
