EFCC’s intervention gave credibility to 2019 polls, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) gave credibility to the 2019 general elections.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo state, Mutiu Agboke, made the disclosure in Ibadan during a thank-you visit to the Ibadan zonal office of the anti-graft agency.

Agboke said that the monitoring of vote buying and selling in the last general elections across the country prevented the exercise from being compromised.

“Your intervention in the 2019 elections is not something that can be wished away. In fact, it gave credibility to the conduct of the elections.

“I was monitoring the analysis of the elections on the radio one day when somebody said he saw for the first time EFCC men around Oluyole area and Ibarapa axis,” he said.

The electoral officer said that the war waged against vote buying by the anti-graft agency checkmated vote compromises in the election and gave it more credibility.

Agboke said that apart from playing laudable roles during the build-up to the elections, the EFCC was there throughout the exercise.

He thanked the acting Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, for collaborating with the electoral body to help discharge its duties to the satisfaction of most Nigerians.

“The mandate given to us was to collaborate and interface with all the agencies of government to deliver acceptable elections.

“I know at the national level your chairman too was also interfacing with my chairman (Prof. Mahmud Yakubu) and that is responsible for the successes we recorded,” Agboke said.

In his remarks, the Ibadan Zonal Head of the EFCC, Friday Ebelo commended the staff of the electoral body for putting Nigeria first in the discharge of their constitutional duties.

Ebelo stated that “all public servants should make such commitment their watchword in order to end well in their chosen careers.

“I always tell my people that as the head of an agency of government or leader of a people, you must always remember that you have a name to protect. That should be the motivation for you to stand your ground at all times.

“If you want to be compromised, you can be compromised. But, if you can remember that you have a name to protect and you have a tomorrow ahead of you, you will guard against being compromised.”