EFCC tracks voters who chased away operatives in Ekiti

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is on the lookout for voters who chased away its operatives from a polling unit during the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, The PUNCH has learnt.

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Some officials of the commission who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday described the action as unlawful and a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to stand.

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One of the officials said the commission viewed the development as an attack on its lawful mandate and warned that those involved could face legal consequences.

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“We consider the action unacceptable and unlawful. The commission will not condone criminality. We are on the lookout for those involved,” the official said.

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According to the official, the EFCC was particularly concerned about the implications of the incident for future elections if left unchecked.

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“The action of those voters has set a dangerous precedent. If such conduct is allowed to continue, it could embolden others to obstruct law enforcement officers carrying out legitimate assignments during elections.

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“If that is the case, we will seriously look into it and the actors in that scenario. We will ensure that we locate them and see what we can do.

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“People cannot simply decide to frustrate officials of the commission who are carrying out their statutory responsibilities,” the source stated.

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The official maintained that the EFCC would not be intimidated in its efforts to curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.

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“We insist that vote-buying is wrong, and we are not going to condone it. We are not going to allow anybody to intimidate us. We will not succumb to any form of harassment.

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“We will continue to fight vote-buying and sanitise the electoral process. That responsibility has been entrusted to us, and we will not abandon it because of threats or resistance from any quarter,” the official added.

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During Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, voters at Polling Unit 10, Ward B in Iyin-Ekiti, reportedly confronted EFCC operatives who arrived to monitor vote-buying activities.

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Some voters questioned the presence of the anti-graft officials and challenged their deployment to the polling unit, leading to a confrontation that forced the operatives to withdraw.

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Following the incident, the EFCC officials reportedly left peacefully while voting continued without disruption.

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The commission has been actively involved in monitoring elections across the country as part of efforts to curb vote-buying and other financial inducements that undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

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However, the incident has sparked concerns within the agency over the safety of its operatives and the ability of law enforcement personnel to effectively monitor compliance with electoral laws during elections.

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Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

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