ICPC operatives to monitor Bayelsa, Kogi elections

Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have concluded plans to monitor today’s governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states with a view to preventing vote-buying and other corrupt practices.

The Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had urged the Commission to be involved in the elections as a means of helping to rid the electoral process in Nigeria of corrupt practices.

The Commission’s participation is also in furtherance of ICPC’s current strategy of engaging in exercises that have macro rather than micro impact on various sectors of the country for the benefit of the generality of citizens.

The ICPC had said on Thursday that it planted secret operatives to carefully monitor the activities of political actors.

The Commission, therefore, enjoined voters in the two states to go and perform their civic obligations while eschewing all acts that could make them run foul of the law.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who disclosed this in Abuja, added that the ICPC had been meeting with the INEC to map out ways of holding politicians who try to undermine the electoral process.

His words: “We have planted within Kogi and Bayelsa communities secret operatives to closely monitor the conducts of actors. We have had meetings with INEC planning the strategies.”

According to Owasanoye, the operatives might not arrest electoral offenders on the spot so that the process would not be truncated.

“We will not just arrest everyone who is found wanting on the field, rather we will evaluate the situation before taking action,” he added.