EFCC Operatives Forced Out of Ekiti Polling Unit by Voters

Mild tension was recorded during the Ekiti State governorship election on Saturday after voters at a polling unit in Iyin-Ekiti challenged the presence of officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who arrived at the venue while voting was ongoing.

The incident occurred at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, where residents were casting their ballots as part of the governorship election taking place across the state. According to reports, the EFCC operatives visited the polling centre as part of efforts to monitor and prevent possible cases of vote buying during the election.

Their arrival, however, did not go down well with some voters at the polling unit. The residents questioned the purpose of the deployment and expressed concerns over the presence of the anti-graft officials at the voting centre.

The situation quickly attracted attention from other voters, leading to a brief confrontation between members of the public and the EFCC team. Some of those present reportedly insisted that there were no signs of vote trading at the polling unit and argued that there was no reason for the operatives to remain at the location.

The disagreement created a moment of uncertainty at the polling centre as voters gathered around the officials. Despite the tension, the situation did not escalate into violence, and electoral activities were not permanently disrupted.

Following the confrontation, the EFCC personnel eventually left the polling unit. Voting later continued without further disturbances, allowing residents to carry on with the exercise.

A video of the incident circulated online on Saturday and drew reactions from observers following developments in the governorship election. The footage showed the moment residents challenged the presence of the officials before they departed from the area.

The governorship election is being conducted across Ekiti State under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with voters turning out in different communities to choose the state’s next governor.

While reports of technical issues and isolated disagreements have surfaced in some locations, voting has continued in many parts of the state as electoral officials work to ensure the process is completed peacefully.