Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa polls: NSA, CDS, IGP warn troublemakers.

Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa polls: NSA, CDS, IGP warn troublemakers.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Chris Musa, yesterday warned those poised to forment trouble during the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states to steer clear of the states  as they will be met with the full weight of the law.

The two security chiefs spoke just as the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had ordered that everything possible should be done to ensure that the elections in the three states are free, fair and credible, without any form of interference.

While Egbetokun said police and other security agencies are monitoring activities of those planning to forment trouble in the three states, Gen Musa said a general court martial had been placed on standby for security personnel who may compromise their position during the elections.

Addressing newsmen after a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) comprising the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security chief, Egbetokun said the police was aware that supporters of some candidates in the election were already mobilising to torment trouble during the elections.

The INEC Chairman  had at the meeting,  expressed concern about violent activities of party supporters in the three states.

The IGP said “We have just concluded the ICCES meeting with INEC.  This election is an off season election and we are committed to making it a free and fair election.  The security agencies are ready for this election.  We have received all necessary information from INEC which has informed us where to deploy to during this election.

“We have carried out our threat assessment and that has informed us where to allocate our resources and the deployment of our men. All the security agencies are collaborating seriously to ensure that this election is violence free.

‘My appeal to people who want to come out and make trouble during this election is for them to stay away from the election because there will be no place for them to operate.

“We are aware of mobilisation by supporters of some candidates. We are already monitoring them and we are ready for them during this election. I appeal to those who just want to come out and disrupt this election to stay away.

“I appeal to the electorate to come out en masse to cast their vote during this election.  We are committed to a peaceful election and there is no going back on that.”

Also speaking, the Chief of Defence Staff said other security agencies will fully be on ground to assist the Police to deliver a credible election, saying “we are here fully to show collaboration, cooperation and support for the Police who are the lead agency in election security.

“The armed forces are going to provide full comprehensive support to ensure that the police is able to do its job without any interference.

“We want to show the people in those three states that there is no need to entertain any fear as the armed forces, the police and other security agents will be fully on ground.”

“All Nigerians are tired of election violence and we intend to do things differently so that at the end of the day, every Nigerian will be proud to be a Nigerian and come to the realisation that election is now free and fair and everybody that wins an election should be proud that he won a free and fair election.

“We have fully deployed and are on ground both covertly and overtly. Anybody who attempts to disrupt any of the elections will have himself to blame.”

General Musa warned security agents involved in the elections not to compromise their position, but abide by the code of conduct given to them

He said “the security men know the code of conduct and what they are supposed to do and we have explained to them.

“We have sent warnings and have court martial on standby and any member of the armed forces who misbehaves will have himself to blame. The court martial is operational already and we want to ensure that we act professionally in everything that we do.”

On his part, the National Security Adviser who is the co-Chairman of ICCES, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu assured that the election will be conducted without any form of interference as directed by the President.

Ribadu said “We are prepared and will be with you 100 percent and will work to meet the standard that you want us to meet.  There is nothing as important as a free and fair election in a democracy.

“This government is interested in that and Mr. President has directed that he wants to see a free, fair and credible election.  This is the first election that is going to be held under his watch.

“He said everything possible should be done to ensure that Nigerians witness a free and fair election.  I want to assure Nigerians that this election will be better than the previous ones.  This election is going to be without violence and a litmus test for us.”

Speaking earlier, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said elections will be conducted in about 10,510 polling units across the three states with about 5.1 million registered voters who have collected their PVC eligible to vote.

He said further that eligible voters in the three states will vote in all the 10,510 polling units, with the exception of two  polling units in Bayelsa State and 38 in Imo State without registered voters.

While saying that the list of these polling units is available on the commission’s website, he disclosed that election results will be collated in 649 Registration Areas/Wards, 56 Local Government Areas and three state collation centres.

He said “this gives us a cumulative figure of 11,178 voting and collation locations to deploy security personnel in the three states. This is in addition to ensuring a secure environment for the ongoing campaigns and rallies by political parties and candidates, security of voters, the escort of personnel and materials, protection of assets and general security for all persons with legitimate reason to participate in the election and electoral activities”.

He stressed that “the three states of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi are not the easiest states in Nigeria to conduct elections. The difficult geographical terrain and prevailing insecurity are compounded by negative mobilisation by political actors, especially since the commencement of campaign in public on 14th July 2023.

“Our message to politicians is that they should call their candidates and supporters to order. Violence and other undemocratic activities such as vote buying, attacks on election officials and disruption of the electoral process must stop.”

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election remained disqualified based on the first amended list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and urged the Bayelsa electorate not to waste their votes on a party that is not on the ballot.

Diri, who noted he was not in Igbedi to campaign, said the projects of his administration in the community were evident.

The governor assured the people that during his second tenure he would construct a road linking Igbedi to Kaiama, which will create a better access to and from the Bayelsa International Airport from the East-West road and the Delta State axis.

He said: “Those whose names have been delisted by amendment number one of INEC can no longer sleep. They will continue to have sleepless nights.

“In our second tenure, the other road that will be important to Bayelsa and even the people of Delta State and for the use of our airport will be to connect Igbedi to Kaiama. That will be the next project we will embark upon in our next tenure.”

Also speaking, wife of the governor, Dr. Gloria Diri, who is a native of Igbedi, thanked people of the community for the rousing welcome accorded her husband and the support given him over the years and urged them not to relent.

The governor inaugurated an internal road in the community and also observed a minute’s silence in honour of Mr. Peremobowei Tukuwei, who died in a tragic boat mishap on Wednesday while the APC campaigned in Nembe Local Government Area.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the state,  Udengs Eradiri, said , with the growing grassroots support to his campaigns,  he will demystify money politics in the November 11 poll.

Eradiri spoke during his campaign tour with stakeholders and supporters of the LP to Nembe City, Opu Nembe and Otakeme community in Nembe and Ogbia local government areas.

Eradiri, who was overwhelmed by the crowd that voluntarily trooped out to receive him, said he was aspiring to become a people-oriented leader that would provide mentorship to young people and reposition the state for greatness.

Eradiri lamented the crisis that had befallen Nembe, sympathised with them and assured them that if elected his administration would focus on the development of the area and stop all forms of politically-induced unrest.

He noted that  he was in the race to rescue Bayelsa, develop all communities insisting that the state was suffering from bad leadership and clueless government.

Eradiri said:  “We are the second poorest state, and the highest school drop out in the whole of the country, which is very sad. I am moving across all the communities of our state selling my manifestoes.

“I will change the old order of doing things. I will not clap hands for myself for building roads, infrastructural development and other social amenities which ordinarily are the rights of the people. Together we will make Bayelsa work again.”