The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Kwara State
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Attairu Madami, has disclosed how the
commission partnered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) to achieve outcome of the 2019 general elections in the state.
Speaking at the Annual Lecture of the Nigerian Union of Journalists,
Kwara State Council on Wednesday, he said the role played by the
anti-graft agency to a large extent determined result of the election
in the state.
It would be recalled that controversies had trailed activities of the
anti-corruption agency in the state before, during and after the
election, where it was alleged to be selective in its operations and
worked for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to muzzle
opposition in the state.
Madami, however, said, “since the 2015 general elections, manipulating
figures of election results have become impossible.”
“The EFCC has helped us a lot in Kwara State as they moved round the
16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State on the days of the election.”
He further commended the EFCC for nabbing vote-buyers who were caught
sharing money to induce voters in Ilorin, the state capital, adding:
“That was why we were able to achieve positive results in the
exercise.”
Head of the EFCC Ilorin Zonal Office, Isyaku Sharu, who was the Guest
Speaker, stressed that the Commission remained committed to ensuring
that the looting of the state’s treasury stopped.
He said that the commission had investigated several cases in a bid to
curb corruption in the state.
He noted that “the reckless movement of huge amount of cash has been
largely checked leading to so many discoveries of illegally acquired
property by a few civil servants in the state, some of which have
already been forfeited to the Federal Government”.
He then called for more support from the people of the state,
stressing that the Commission alone could not win the war against
corruption.
“We call on all Nigerians, including the members of the Nigerian Union
of Journalists, to assist in sensitising the public against corruption
in order to pave the way for a better Kwara State, where our children
and coming generations will be proud of,” he said.
