The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is on the lookout for voters who chased away its operatives from a polling unit during the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, The PUNCH has learnt.

Some officials of the commission who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday described the action as unlawful and a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to stand.

One of the officials said the commission viewed the development as an attack on its lawful mandate and warned that those involved could face legal consequences.

“We consider the action unacceptable and unlawful. The commission will not condone criminality. We are on the lookout for those involved,” the official said.

According to the official, the EFCC was particularly concerned about the implications of the incident for future elections if left unchecked.

“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 maintained that the EFCC would not be intimidated in its efforts to curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.

“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 arrived to monitor vote-buying activities.

Some voters questioned the presence of the anti-graft officials and challenged their deployment to the polling unit, leading to a confrontation that forced the operatives to withdraw.

Following the incident, the EFCC officials reportedly left peacefully while voting continued without disruption.

The commission has been actively involved in monitoring elections across the country as part of efforts to curb vote-buying and other financial inducements that undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

However, the incident has sparked concerns within the agency over the safety of its operatives and the ability of law enforcement personnel to effectively monitor compliance with electoral laws during elections.

Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. (PUNCH)

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