By Chidi Roberts
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), on Saturday stormed polling units in Benin, the Edo Capital in a bid to avert vote buying in the ongoing governorship.
The operatives who were clad in their branded camouflage uniforms and vest combed surroundings in and around the polling booths in search of vote buyers.
At the Oredo ward 1, domiciled at the former Garrick Memorial College, the operatives were seen combing even a dilapidated structure in the premises.
Meanwhile, some electorate have faulted the style of operation deployed by the EFCC in discharging their duty.
According to one Eric Elijah, the EFCC should have operated as undercover agents without wearing their uniforms or any of their paraphernalia.
“That way, they will be able to intercept vote buyers. But with the way they came now, everyone knows that these are EFCC people, so even the vote buyers adjusted.”
Elijah also said that the operatives should have been at the polling booth much earlier to catch “red handed” those indulging in the act.
On his expectations from the potential winner of the election, he said that the person should be magnanimous in victory as well as to govern the state without fear or favour to anyone irrespective of the role of such a person in his emergence.
He also urged the winner to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the residents and be in constant touch with the grassroots.
Similarly, Mr Lugard Osaro, an Octogenarian said he expected the winner to build and consolidate on the achievements of the outgoing governor.
He commended the presence of the EFCC in the polling booth.
At Oredo ward 3, Ezomon Primary School, the electorate, noted that the operatives of the EFCC should have been at their various duty post on time.
They opined that it would have been apt for the operatives from the commencement of the voting exercise and not appear almost few hours to the end of voting.
They also emphasised the need for INEC to allow the vote of the people count.
