Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has said that 35000 police personnel to be complemented by another 8,000 personnel from other security agencies would be deployed in the Edo state governorship election holding September 21, 2024.
Speaking Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting in Benin City, Edo state, Egbetokun also ordered that all local security outfits in the state remained suspended.
He said the management of election security was solely the responsibility of the Nigerian Police Force and other national security agencies within the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The police chief therefore cautioned individuals or groups against engaging in any unauthorised security functions, threatening to arrest and prosecute violators.
“In this election, the police will be deploying 35,000 personnel and this will be complemented by over 8,000 members of the armed forces and other security agencies.
“The security forces will not tolerate any form of political thuggery, violence or hooliganism. Any attempt to undermine the electoral process will be met with swift and decisive action.
“Moreover, I want to emphasise that the management of elections security is solely the responsibility of the Nigerian Police Force and other national security agencies within ICCES.
“This responsibility does not extend to local security entities or non-state actors. I hereby direct all local security apparatus within Edo state to refrain from interfering with election security functions.
“Any individual or group engaging in unauthorised security functions will face immediate arrest and prosecution. In this regard, the activities of Edo state Security Corps which has been suspended, remains suspended until further notice,” he said.
“Movements of persons and vehicles will be restricted from 6am to 6pm on the day of the election. All orderlies and escorts to VIPs are withdrawn on the eve of the election with alternative security arrangement provided for.
“As in the past elections, the police are lead security agency, supported by other national security agencies who will join us in ensuring the safety and security of the electoral process.
“Demonstrating our collective commitment to peaceful and credible election, we understand the vital importance of our roles and I want to assure you that we are well prepared to perform our duties with excellence.
“We will safeguard the electoral process by ensuring the safety of personnel and property including equipment that would be deployed in this election.
“We will ensure strict compliance and enforcement of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the Police Act 2020, the Criminal/Penal Code, among others.
“We will provide conducive environment for the peaceful conduct of credible elections. Our approach to election security is grafted in the principles of neutrality, professionalism and enforcement of human rights,” the IGP assured.
…INEC
Also speaking, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, assured that sensitive materials for the election would arrive the state next week and warehoused in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He said: “On the part of INEC, active preparations for the election started last year with the release of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election as required by law.
“Overall, 13 statutory activities were listed beginning with the publication of the Notice of Election and ending with the Election Day. This document has been widely publicised and as a reminder, we have included it in the information booklet circulated at this meeting.
“As you can see from the timetable for the election, the commission has so far implemented 11 out of the 13 activities on schedule. As at today, we have only two outstanding activities. These are the last day of campaign by political parties which, according to law, ends 24 hours before the date fixed for the elections i.e. at midnight on Thursday 19th September 2024 and Election Day on Saturday 21st September 2024.”
…Adjustment on list of candidates, CVR
Continuing, the INEC boss said: “We have already published the final list of candidates. However, there are two adjustments to the list. By court order, the commission has replaced the running mate to the candidate of the Labour Party.
Yakubu further spoke on the Commission’s state of preparedness, during which he said it had complied with some court orders bordering on some political parties’ interest.
“Similarly, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) which could not file its nomination on schedule has obtained a court order to compel the commission to include the party on the ballot.
“We have complied with the court order. Consequently, 18 political parties are now participating in the 2024 Edo State Governorship election. The updated list of parties and candidates is contained in the information booklet circulated at this meeting.
“Following the conclusion of the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo State and the cleaning up of the data, 184,438 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were delivered to Edo state.
“This figure is made up of 119,206 new voters and 65,232 verified applications for transfer into Edo from other states of the Federation, transfer within Edo state, cards reprinted after corrections of personal details or the replacement of lost or damaged cards as provided by law.
“We have already published the details on our website for public information. I must commend all stakeholders in Edo State for the level of mobilisation for the voter registration and collection of PVCs.
“As already announced by the Commission, Edo state now has a total of 2,629,025 registered voters. In our commitment to transparency, the commission has made available softcopies of the entire register of voters to each political party fielding candidates in the forthcoming election.
“In the next few days, the commission will publish the detailed breakdown of PVCs collected for each of the 4,519 Polling Units across the State. Meanwhile, all uncollected PVCs will be mopped up from the 18 Local Government Areas and warehoused in the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the Governorship election.
“As you are aware, election is a multi-stakeholder activity. INEC has a role to play but this must be complemented by stakeholders. The 2024 Edo state governorship election is not just a national election, it is also of global interest,” he added.
Yakubu also said the commission “has so far accredited 134 groups (124 domestic and 10 international) deploying 1,836 observers across the State. Similarly, we have accredited 114 media organisations deploying 721 journalists. We have also accredited thousands of agents representing candidates and political parties at the 4,730 polling and collation locations made up of 4,519 polling units, 192 Ward collation centres, 18 Local Government collation centres and the State Collation Centre.
“I want to assure you that the accreditation tags for all categories of stakeholders are ready. We will announce the date and venue for collection in the next 24 hours. Similarly, election duty vehicle stickers are available for collection from our Edo State office here in Benin City.
“In our various engagements with stakeholders at the national level, they underscored the importance of providing security during the election to guarantee their personal safety, the protection of their equipment and unimpeded access to voting and collation locations.
“We have conveyed this concern to the security agencies at the last meeting of ICCES at the national level. We have also discussed the security of our own officials (both regular and ad hoc staff) for the election, the service providers such as transporters and, above all, the citizens that will vote during the election. I am glad that the relevant agencies have given us the necessary assurance of security during the election. We will hear more from the Inspector-General of Police shortly.”
…Tasks ICPC, EFCC
At a similar meeting with members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the INEC chair tasked security agencies, particularly, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to target individuals planning to engage in vote-buying during the election.
He noted that there were interests locally and internationally in the conduct of the poll.
While harping on the importance of collaboration among security agencies and the Commission, he said such synergy would ensure the election was widely credible and peaceful.
He deplored the threat and dangers that vote-buying posed to Nigeria’s democratic process and urged the ICPC and EFCC to implement effective strategies to combating the menace.
He said: “You need to deploy a strategy for combating vote buying. It has been a feature in our elections and the more INEC improves on the processes, the more some people try to beat the process by now going to buy the votes at the polling units.
“In any case, if people are buying votes, it means that the votes are counting, that is why they are buying the votes, but we can’t allow vote buyers to determine who wins our democratic elections. It is a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people and not a plutocracy which is only open for the rich.”
Also speaking, the state Commissioner of Police, Nemo Edwin-Iwo, assured of adequate security before, during and after the election.
He said the police had reviewed and enhanced their strategy for securing the state and confirmed that arrangements had been finalised in synergy with other security agencies to deploy enough security personnel from both within Edo and neighbouring states to dominate the space and ensure maximum security throughout the election process.
…Oba of Benin orders spiritual cleansing
Meanwhile, the Oba of Benin, HRM, Ewuare II, has directed all Chiefs, Enigie, Ikao, Edionwere and Igie Ohen of various deities in Benin Kingdom, to perform “Bisusu”, a traditional ceremony of waving away calamity.
The royal father ordered that the spiritual exercise should be “carried out with immediate effect to wave away evil out of our land, especially before, during and after the forth-coming gubernatorial election in our dear State.”
The directive was contained in a statement issued Wednesday in Benin City by the Esere of Benin, Chief Stanley. O. Obamwonyi.
The statement added that the spiritual cleansing should be done with the traditional items that are normally used.