By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew| Owerri
An official from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been apprehended by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) during the Imo State governorship election for having a large sum of money.
Our correspondent learnt that the INEC staff was caught at Polling Unit 005, Township Primary School, Ikenegbu 1, in the Owerri Municipal LGA.
The money was allegedly offered to the official by an unnamed party for the purpose of vote-buying, a common issue that undermines the credibility of elections in Nigeria.
To combat electoral fraud, including vote buying and selling, the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dispatched officers to monitor off-cycle elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa.
It was reported earlier that party agents in the ongoing off-cycle election in Imo State resorted to offering financial incentives to voters in the dt to secure their votes for their respective candidates.
The said agents were reportedly positioned at a distance of approximately 500 meters from the polling units and handed out cash to voters in exchange for their support. The amount of money given to each voter varied between N3,000 to N5,000, depending on their individual characteristics and bargaining skills.
