The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, announced that it had deployed its operatives to monitor Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi.
Spokesperson of the commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, stated that ICPC operatives had been deployed in the 56 local government areas and 649 wards in the three states to monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the electoral exercise.
The monitoring exercise, according to her, was a response to the invitation by the Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for ICPC to participate in ensuring that the electoral processes in these states are free and fair.
Ogugua informed that while addressing operatives before their deployment, ICPC Head of Special Duty Division (SDD), Mr Alex Chukwura, called on operatives to collaborate with the Military, Police, Department of State Security (DSS), other security agencies and INEC to ensure that the elections were conducted free and fair.
Chukwura charged operatives to strictly adhere to the ICPC guidelines for monitoring elections, adding that they should always act with discipline and imbibe the spirit of integrity while on the field.
He further charged the operatives to stay close to each other and work as a team to achieve the desired goal.
“Furthermore, officers were advised to take necessary actions against perpetrators of any acts of corruption in accordance with the law, no matter their social status in the election processes,” Ogugua stated.
She added that voters in the three states are charged to go out on Saturday and perform their civic responsibilities while avoiding any act that could lead to electoral and other related offences.
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