Wilson
Uwajuren, EFCC spokesman, made this known in a statement to journalists in Abuja
on Friday.
He said the
anti-graft agency is out to prosecute anyone involved in the practice of
vote-buying.
Uwajuren
said those offering financial inducements for votes as well as those receiving
such money would be held culpable and prosecuted.
He said the
commission had mobilised its investigative resources to monitor campaign
financing by political parties in Osun.
The
statement reads: “As part of the commission’s proactive efforts in securing the
integrity of the electoral process and preventing the exercise from being used
as avenue for money laundering, the EFCC has already launched massive, but
discreet, surveillance of the financial flows of all the actors in the various
political parties.
“The
tracking process, which is ongoing, will continue till all the scheduled
elections are concluded.”
He quoted
Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the commission, as saying the move is part of
a collaborative initiative that will see the EFCC join forces with other law
enforcement agencies to enforce compliance of provisions of the electoral act
which criminalises financial inducement by political parties and their
candidates.
“We will be
working with all stakeholders especially from the security and intelligence
community to stop the practice of vote buying and other financial malpractices
that undermine the integrity of our elections,” Magu was quoted as saying.
“It is
important to state here that those who offer bribes for votes are as guilty as
those who receive such gratifications. My candid advice to the electorates is
to be vigilant and resist the temptation to sell their votes.
“After the
widely acclaimed peaceful transfer of power from a sitting president, who was
the candidate of the then ruling party, to the candidate of the opposition
party in 2015, the 2019 general election offers Nigeria the opportunity to
deepen her emerging democratic culture that is free and participatory. We must
guard this process by shunning all forms of electoral malpractices.”
Magu said
the commission would not take any step that is not sanctioned by law, adding,
however, that “no one who collects money to rig election will be spared.”
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