Princess Kelechi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will deploy undercover security agents to polling units during the 2023 general elections in order to curb the menace of vote-buying.
INEC National Commissioner in charge of voter education, Festus Okoye, made this announcement on Tuesday during a citizens’ elections dialogue hosted by YIAGA Africa and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Abuja.
According to Okoye, the commission’s commitment to delivering free, fair, and credible elections for all Nigerians is unshaken and it will partner with security agencies to place plainclothes operatives in select polling units.
By doing this, the INEC spokesman said, the commission is carrying out its mandate in upholding a transparent and accountable electoral system.
“We have also made sure that people do not enter the voting compartments with their mobile phones that can take pictures and we’re also collaborating with the different security agencies under the auspices of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security to make sure that plain clothe security personnels are deployed to some polling units on election day to stem the issue of vote buying and vote selling,” Okoye said.