By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in intelligence sharing, sensitisation campaigns against vote trading, and the prompt prosecution of electoral offenders.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in an official signed statement, disclosed that the commitment was reaffirmed on Friday, August 8, 2025, when the new INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara State, Hale Gabriel Longpet, paid a courtesy visit to the Director of the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate, Daniel Isei.
During the meeting, Longpet noted that the visit was a demonstration of INEC’s commitment to partnering with the EFCC in efforts to deepen democracy. He stressed that credible elections required the contributions of all stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability in both pre-election and post-election processes. The REC expressed optimism that with EFCC’s support, incidents of vote merchandising and financial inducements during elections would be drastically reduced.
Responding, Isei commended INEC for its pivotal role in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic processes and assured that the EFCC remained committed to supporting the electoral body in ensuring free, fair, and credible elections in Kwara State. He added that the fight against corruption included tackling electoral malpractices such as vote buying, bribery, and other forms of financial inducement that undermine the integrity of polls.
