Vote Buying: NFIU to freeze government accounts early January 2023

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) said it would freeze all government accounts by early January, 2023 to curb vote buying in the next year’s general election.

This was disclosed by the Director General of the NFIU, Modibbo Turkur, at a one-day stakeholders’ summit in Abuja on Monday.

The summit, which was organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Advertising Practitioners Regulations Council of Nigeria (APRCON), was to address the influence of money on the 2023 general election.

Turkur, said that most people who engage in vote buying do so because of free funds at their disposal.

He noted that it would only be leaving enough money for payment of workers’ salaries and for day-to-day running of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Also, the Nigeria police said its personnel was making concerted efforts to ensure that the use of money is not allowed to influence the 2023 general elections or at least ensure that this menace is brought to the barest minimum.