The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has sent out agents to observe the governorship elections that are scheduled for this Saturday in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa.
This was said in a statement made on Thursday in Abuja by the Commission's spokeswoman, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua.
As per her statement, the commission has assigned its agents to 649 Wards and 56 local government areas across the three states that will host the election.
According to Ogugua, the agents' duties included keeping an eye out for and stopping vote-buying and other electoral irregularities at the several polling places during the election.
"ICPC has accepted Prof. Mahmood Yakubu's invitation to take part in monitoring the free and fair election processes in these three states, and this monitoring exercise is in response to that request."
During the exercise, she added, Mr. Alex Chukwura, the ICPC Head of Special Duties Division (SDD), urged the operatives to work together with other sister agencies.
Prior to their deployment, Chukwura instructed the agents to work with the Department of State Security, the Military, the Police, other security agencies, and INEC to guarantee free and fair elections.
The chief of SDD gave the agents strong instructions to follow the ICPC's election observation standards.
He went on to say that when on the field, officers should constantly behave in a disciplined manner, embody the attitude of integrity, stick close to one another, and work as a team to accomplish the intended outcome.
In addition, he counseled the officers to take appropriate legal action against anyone found guilty of any corruption during the election, regardless of their social standing.
"On Election Day, voters in the aforementioned three states are expected to fulfill their civic duties and refrain from taking any action that could result in electoral or other related offenses," he stated.