EFCC Tracks Voters Who Chased Operatives From Polling Units

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed on Wednesday that it was actively tracking individuals who chased its operatives from polling units during the Ekiti State governorship election on June 20, 2026, and vowed to prosecute those found to have facilitated vote-buying or obstructed its officers in the performance of their duties.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the commission deployed operatives to multiple polling units across Ekiti during the election after receiving intelligence about planned voter inducement activities. At certain polling units, the operatives said they encountered hostile crowds who prevented them from carrying out their mandate, forcing them to withdraw from the premises.

Commission Vows Full Prosecution

Oyewale said the commission had gathered sufficient evidence, including video footage and witness accounts, to identify several of the individuals involved in the obstruction. He said the EFCC viewed the chasing away of its operatives as a criminal offence that undermined the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and would be treated accordingly. Charges were being prepared, he said.

The EFCC’s Ekiti deployment was part of a wider election-day enforcement operation that also involved the Nigeria Police, the Civil Defence Corps, the Immigration Service, and the Amotekun Corps. Its operatives stormed Governor Oyebanji’s polling unit in what was described as a routine check. However, the incident there was described as a verification exercise rather than an enforcement action against the governor.

Vote-Buying Now Includes Digital Transfers

Furthermore, the Nigerian Situation Room had earlier warned that vote-buying tactics in Ekiti had evolved to include digital bank transfers, making detection and prosecution more challenging for law enforcement. The EU-SDGN Observer Hub had also flagged vote-buying and ballot irregularities in its preliminary assessment. Consequently, the EFCC’s post-election investigation is being watched closely as a test of whether Nigerian authorities will follow through on prosecuting electoral fraud in a context where such conduct has historically gone unpunished. Notably, the outcome of any prosecutions will shape the credibility of the commission’s election-day presence in future polls.