ICPC sends operatives to watch over off-cycle polls in Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi

The ICPC has sent its operatives to watch over the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi on Saturday.

The Commission’s Spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, announced this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

She said that the operatives would cover the 56 local government areas and 649 wards in the three states where the polls would take place.

Ogugua said that the operatives would, among others, observe and stop vote-buying and other electoral frauds at the various polling units during the polls.

“The observation exercise is a response to the invitation by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for the ICPC to participate in ensuring that the electoral processes in these three states are free and fair.”

She said that the ICPC Head of Special Duties Division (SDD), Mr. Alex Chukwura, urged the operatives to work with other agencies during the exercise.

Chukwura told the operatives before they left to work with the military, police, Department of State Security, other security agencies, and INEC to ensure that the polls were free and fair.

The SDD head instructed the operatives to follow the ICPC guidelines for observing elections.

He added that officers should act with discipline and integrity while on the field, stay close to each other, and work as a team to achieve the desired goal.

He also advised the officers to take necessary actions against offenders of any acts of corruption during the polls in accordance with the law, no matter their social status.

“Voters in the three states mentioned are charged to go out on Election Day and perform their civic duties while avoiding any act that could lead to electoral and other related offences,” he said.