The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun efforts to identify voters who allegedly forced its operatives out of a polling unit during the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
Officials of the commission who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday condemned the incident, describing it as illegal and a troubling development that should not be tolerated.
One official said the agency regarded the action as interference with its lawful duties and warned that those responsible could face sanctions under the law.
“We consider the action unacceptable and unlawful. The commission will not condone criminality. We are on the lookout for those involved,” the official said.
The source added that the commission was worried about the broader implications of the incident for future elections if no action was taken.
“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.
“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.
“People cannot simply decide to frustrate officials of the commission who are carrying out their statutory responsibilities,” the source stated.
The official stressed that the EFCC would remain committed to combating vote-buying and other electoral offences despite the incident.
“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.
“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.
During Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, voters at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, in Iyin-Ekiti reportedly confronted EFCC operatives who had arrived to observe and monitor vote-buying activities.
Witnesses said some voters questioned the presence of the anti-corruption officials and challenged their deployment to the polling station, resulting in a confrontation that eventually led the operatives to leave the area.
The officials reportedly withdrew peacefully, while voting continued without any interruption.
The EFCC has played an active role in election monitoring nationwide as part of its efforts to tackle vote-buying and other forms of financial inducement that threaten the credibility of elections.
However, the incident has raised concerns within the commission regarding the safety of its personnel and the ability of law enforcement officers to effectively enforce electoral regulations during polls.
Attempts to obtain comments from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.
