The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for closer collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle vote trading and prosecute electoral offenders.
Hale Gabriel Longpet, INEC’s resident electoral commissioner in Kwara, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to Daniel Isei, director of the EFCC’s Ilorin zonal command, on Friday.
Longpet said the electoral umpire was committed to deepening democracy and promoting transparency across all stages of the election cycle.
He noted that electoral fraud, especially financial inducement of voters, undermines credible elections and must be addressed through strategic partnerships.
His words: “We believe the EFCC has a critical role to play, particularly in intelligence sharing and speedy prosecution of electoral offenders.
“With your support, we are confident that incidences of vote buying will be drastically reduced.”
In his response, Isei assured INEC of the commission’s readiness to support its operations in Kwara and beyond.
He commended INEC’s role in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy, describing the collaboration as necessary to uphold electoral integrity.
“The EFCC is fully committed to tackling electoral crimes, including bribery and other financial infractions that threaten free and fair elections,” he said.
Isei added that the anti-graft agency would continue to work with stakeholders to sanitise Nigeria’s electoral process.
