By ISAAC AREGBESOLA

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has deployed its operatives to monitor the Saturday governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi.

The Spokesperson of the Commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to her, the commission’s operatives have been deployed to the 56 local government areas and 649 Wards in the three states where the election would be held.

Ogugua said that the operatives were to among others monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the election.

“The monitoring exercise is a response to the invitation by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for ICPC to participate in ensuring that the electoral processes in these three states are free and fair.”

She said that the ICPC Head of Special Duties Division (SDD), Mr Alex Chukwura, called on the operatives to collaborate with other sisters agencies during the exercise.

Chukwura told the operatives before their deployment, to collaborate with the Military, Police, Department of State Security, other security agencies and INEC to ensure that the elections were free and fair.

The SDD head charged the operatives to strictly adhere to the ICPC guidelines for monitoring elections.

He added that officers should always act with discipline and imbibe the spirit of integrity while on the field, and also staying close to each other and working as a team to achieve the desired goal.

He also advised the officers to take necessary actions against perpetrators of any acts of corruption during the election in accordance with the law, no matter their social status.

“Voters in the three states aforesaid are charged to go out on Election Day and perform their civic responsibilities while avoiding any act that could lead to electoral and other related offences,” he said. (NAN)