EFCC Withdrawn From Ekiti Polling Units as Vote-Buying Allegations Mount

Voters at Polling Unit 10 in Ward B, Iyin Ekiti, confronted and drove away Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials during the state governorship election on Saturday. The operatives had arrived at the centre as part of efforts to monitor and prevent vote-buying activities.

When voters questioned their presence and demanded they leave, citing no evidence of misconduct at the location, the EFCC team withdrew from the polling unit. The voting process then continued without further disruption.

The incident in Iyin Ekiti was not isolated. Reports indicate that vote-buying allegations spread across multiple areas of Ekiti State during the election.

Party agents were reported to have offered cash to voters at various polling locations. The EFCC also deployed to Polling Unit 003 in Ikogosi, Ekiti West Local Government Area, arriving at 9:05 a.m., shortly after voting commenced at 8:30 a.m., positioning operatives around the polling environment to observe the voting process.

The sources differ on the extent of the EFCC's operations. One account describes the withdrawal from Iyin Ekiti as voters successfully forcing operatives to leave the scene.

Another report frames the EFCC deployment as part of a broader anti-graft monitoring effort across the state in response to financial inducement concerns. No official statement from the EFCC regarding the circumstances of their withdrawal was reported.

The tension between election observers and voters at polling units reflects ongoing concerns about election integrity in Nigeria. The Ekiti governorship race became the focal point for these allegations, with vote-buying reported across different parts of the state.

The exact scale of the suspected infractions and the outcome of any investigation remain unclear from available reports.