Ahead of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians and political parties that it would not count votes from polling units where violence was recorded.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, while addressing election stakeholders during a meeting in preparation for the governorship election on November 11.
Yakubu said the commission would not return to any polling unit, where there was violence, for election.
Equally, on Tuesday, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warned individuals and groups intent on disrupting the election to think twice, as the police high command was prepared to deal decisively with troublemakers.
Yakubu, who was represented at the meeting in Yenagoa by INEC National Commissioner supervising Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers states, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, disclosed that all the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BIVAS) that would be used for the elections were customised for INEC.
Agbamuche-Mbu said INEC details were in the BVAS, while the list and serial numbers of all the BVAS are with INEC.
According to Yakubu, “I want to let you know that our BVAS have been customised for INEC, so INEC details and the name of the parties are on the BVAS. So any BVAS you see without INEC details cannot be from INEC.
“Another thing, we have all the list of the serial numbers of the BVAS we are going to use, the result sheets will be signed at the polling units.
“Where there is violence, it will be zero. We will not return to that polling unit to conduct election.
“We have recruited and carefully trained all category of ad-hoc staff to be deployed to the fields, all non-sensitive materials have been distributed to all the eight local government area offices of the state; voter education and sensitisation is ongoing.
“We have made arrangement for the transportation of personnel and materials to ensure that polling units open on schedule on election day.”
Speaking further, he said, “For more effective supervision of the process, we are deploying two National Commissioners, eight Resident Electoral Commissioners to support our office in Bayelsa. I wish to assure you of our commitment to free, fair and credible election come Saturday.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday warned individuals and groups intent on disrupting the elections to reconsider their actions, as the police high command was prepared to deal decisively with troublemakers.
Egbetokun also ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12.01 am to 6pm on election day in the affected states, with the exception of those on essential services, such as INEC officials, accredited electoral observers, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, media, among others.
Moving in the same direction, the Police Service Commission (PSC) said it had concluded arrangements to deploy staff monitors for the November 11 governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, said the staff monitors were expected to be deployed to all the senatorial districts in the three states and were mandated to strictly monitor the conduct of policemen on election duties in the three states.
At a media briefing in Abuja, the Nigeria Police affirmed that in pursuit of its commitment to neutrality and as part of the bid to enhance the supervision of the elections, the IGP had deployed Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to oversee the security arrangements and ensure the elections run smoothly in the respective states.
The police stated, “This added layer of supervision is intended to guarantee that the elections meet the highest standards of transparency and credibility.
“Therefore, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Training and Development, DIG Frank Mba, has been deployed to oversee elections in Imo State; DIG Habu Sani in charge of the Department of Force Intelligence to Kogi State, and DIG Daniel Sokari-Pedro in charge of the Department of Information and Communication Technology to Bayelsa State,”
It stated that in a bid to ensure a smooth electioneering processes, the IGP ordered the distribution of an additional 220 operational vehicles, including water cannons, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), gun boats for riverine areas, helmets, bullet proof vests, tear gas canisters among others to the three affected states to intensify security arrangements for the elections to augment the already deployed assets.
The IGP, who spoke through the Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, “The IG has ordered a restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12.01 am to 6 pm on election day in the affected states with the exception of those on essential services such as INEC Officials, Accredited Electoral Observers, Ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, media, etcetera.
“The order, which is part of measures emplaced to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive environment for the conduct of elections, is aimed at ensuring public order management, the safety of electorates, as well as assisting the security agencies in effective policing, thereby preventing hoodlums and criminally-minded elements from disrupting the electoral process.”
He said residents and travellers in the neighbouring states should note and plan their movements to avoid any untold hardship during the election period.
“Similarly, the IGP sternly warns all security aides and escorts to desist from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election, as anyone found flouting this directive will be severely sanctioned,” he said.
He maintained that only security personnel specifically assigned to election duties were to be within and around the designated election booths and centres.
According to him, “Also, the ban on the unauthorised use of sirens, revolving lights, covered number plates, and tinted glasses is still in force, and violators would be sanctioned appropriately.
“All state-established and owned security outfits/organisations, quasi-security units, and privately-owned guard and security outfits are also barred from participating in election security management.”
While empathising with well-meaning residents of the affected states on the inconveniences the restrictions may cause, the IGP urged all active electorate to be law-abiding and turn out en masse to exercise their franchise.
“He however warned that the force will deal decisively with any individual(s) or group(s) that might want to test our common resolve and might to ensure a peaceful election,” he said.
The IGP enjoined the electorate and party supporters and leaders to shun vote buying, vote selling, hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation, snatching of ballot boxes, and other criminal acts, as the force and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all violators of extant laws, most especially the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), faced the full wrath of the law.
The police said, “The Nigeria Police Force is aware that it is essential for citizens to have quick access to security agencies in case of emergencies or to report any security concerns during the election period.
“Therefore, we have established dedicated emergency contact numbers that the public can use to reach out to the Joint Operation Room for the elections in each state.
“The numbers are ‘Joint Operations Room Imo State – 08034773600 or 08113659301; Joint Operations Room Kogi State – 07038329084; Joint Operations Room Bayelsa State – 07034578208 09167322691.”
Meanwhile, the PSC said it had concluded arrangements to deploy staff monitors for governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, stated that staff monitors were expected to be deployed to all the senatorial districts in the three states and were mandated to monitor strictly the conduct of policemen on election duties in the three states.
It added, “The commission will hold these police officers accountable for their actions and inactions throughout the period of the election and will not hesitate to discipline appropriately any officer found wanting in the discharge of his/her election duties.
“Chairman of the commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, who is also a retired Inspector-General of Police, said the IG of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, deserves commendation for the material support he had made available for proper policing of both the electorate and election materials.”
In Kogi, Egbetokun urged political stakeholders to play the game by it rules to avoid violence before, during and after the election on Saturday. He made this call at a one-day engagement with the critical stakeholders ahead of Kogi governorship election held in Lokoja on Tuesday.
The Inspector General of Police explained that there were laws guiding elections in Nigeria, adding that if everyone abides by the rules there would be no crises during the election.
The Inspector General of Police, who was represented by the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Bethrand Onuoha, explained that a lot had been happening in Kogi State.
He added that some people had been blackmailing the police, stressing that police are neither political nor meant for any political party.
The police warned that anyone caught fomenting trouble before, during and after the election will be dealt with.
Chuks Okocha, Kingsley Nwezeh, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja, Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa, Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja and Tony Icheku in Owerri
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