From David Onuoja, Abuja
Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has on Thursday met with stakeholders in Akure, Ondo state to further deliberate on the conduct of the gubernatorial election which it said needs the cooperation of all.
The discussion which was centered on the election preparedness was addressed by the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, while that of Security was lead by the Inspector General of Police respectively.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood, while delivering his keynote address said, the Commission has accredited 111 domestic and international organisations deploying 3,554 observers while Police deployed 22,239 officers for the election.
He added that, over 100 radio, television, newspaper and online media organisations also deployed about 700 personnel, including 129 female journalists, the largest number for any off-cycle Governorship elections in Nigeria apart from thousands of agents representing candidates and political parties for all the polling and collation locations across the State.
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According to him, “Let me reassure stakeholders that INEC is ready for the election. We are deploying the BVAS machines for voter accreditation at polling units and for the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“We have made arrangements for land and maritime transportation of personnel and materials. We have arranged for the delivery of sensitive materials for the election to arrive as early as Tuesday next week.
“Also, we will invite political parties and other stakeholders for the usual inspection of the materials at the Central Bank here in Akure and throughout the movement of sensitive materials to the Local Governments and the Ward centres.
“INEC has a role to play, however, our role has to be complemented by all stakeholders. I urge Political parties to continue to restrain your supporters from any disruptive behaviour”, he said.
Speaking at the stakeholders meeting, was the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Assistant Inspector general of Police (AIG), in charge of Zone 17, Abiodun Oladimeji Asabi, who said, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, Police will deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise.
He said, Security of the voters, the electoral officials, the electoral materials and the general public will have to be effectively provided before, during and after the election. This he added, can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergized security agencies assigned for the election duties.
According to the Police, “the security agencies in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergize and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud, all security threats, provide water-tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state.
“We should bear it in mind that performing our roles in the fair and orderly manner will certainly reduce the security threats to the barest minimum, with a far reaching effect on the credibility of the election.
“Breach of the peace or security can surely scuttle the success expected in the exercise. Hence it is very pertinent for all stakeholders to discharge our various duties with security conscious approaches.”
AIG Oladimeji Asabi, also admonished the stakeholders saying, “let us approach the forthcoming election with an open and positive mindset, filled with unwavering determination to do the right thing in our various roles and foster a peaceful, free and fair election. On our part as security agencies, we promise to leave no stone unturned in order to provide hitch-free and conducive atmosphere prior, during and the post-election security at the conclusion of the process.
“All stakeholders should eschew violence, avoid the do-or-die approach, should not employ thuggery and play the game according to the rules in the spirit of sportsmanship that will enable the loser to lose gallantly and the winner to be magnanimous in victory”, he advised.
On his part, the Ondo State Supervising National Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, called on all stakeholders to wax strong in cooperation to ensure the success of the election.
“The people of Ondo State, like all citizens, deserve an election that reflects their will, free from undue influence, violence, and malpractices. I therefore, urged all stakeholders to collectively conduct ourselves peacefully, make it free, fair, credible, inclusive and conclusive elections he said.”
