The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, has deployed its operatives to monitor any form of election corruption in the coming elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states.
The Commission in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua on Thursday, revealed that the operatives have been deployed to the 56 local government areas and 649 wards to monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the electoral exercise.
Ogugua disclosed that the monitoring exercise was a response to the invitation by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for ICPC to participate to ensure that the electoral processes in these three states were free and fair.
Addressing the operatives before their deployment, the Commission’s Head of Special Duty Division, Alex Chukwura, urged them to collaborate with the Military, Police, Department of State Security and other security agencies, as well as INEC, to ensure that the elections were conducted free and fair.
Chukwura advised the operatives to strictly adhere to the ICPC guidelines for monitoring elections, saying that “officers should always act with discipline and imbibe the spirit of integrity while on the field, staying close to each other and working as a team to achieve the desired goal.”
While warning the stakeholders against any acts of electoral corruption in the off-cycle elections, he advised the
officers to take necessary actions against perpetrators of any acts of corruption by the law, no matter their social status in the election processes.
Chukwura however charged the electorates to go out on election day and perform their civic responsibilities while avoiding any act that could lead to electoral and other related offences.
