The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended three suspects for alleged vote buying during the ongoing Edo governorship election.
The arrests took place at a polling unit in one of the Local Government Areas (LGA), where two male suspects and one female were detained.
EFCC operatives, alongside police officers, were seen removing the suspects from the polling station after they were caught allegedly distributing money to voters, a common tactic to influence the outcome of elections in Nigeria.
In the lead-up to the election, civil society group Yiaga Africa had raised concerns about potential violence and vote buying.
The group identified Egor, along with seven other LGAs—Ovia South-West, Ovia North-East, Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Etsako West, Etsako East, and Esan South-East—as hotspots for these illegal activities.
Yiaga Africa stressed the importance of addressing vote buying through arrests and prosecution of those involved.
The organisation highlighted a “volatile political climate” during the campaigns, marked by instances of violence and coercion.
A total of 17 candidates are contesting for over 2.2 million votes across Edo’s 18 LGAs.
