National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Ariwera Ibibo- Howells, Yenagoa.
Ahead of the November 16th Bayelsa state Governorship polls, the Inspector General of police, Mohammed Adamu says no fewer than 32,000 officers and men of the Nigerian police force would be deployed to secure electoral materials and citizens during the election in the State.
The police chief revealed this to Newsmen during the week in Yenagoa, the capital of the state during a stakeholders meeting organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
According to the police boss, the deployment of these number of officers became necessary following the violent electoral history of the state, stressing that the policemen and sister security agencies billed to cover the polls are expected to do their jobs professionally without intimidation and harassment of innocent and non- violent citizens and electorates.
In a key note address, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mohamood Yakubu noted that the electoral umpire in its constitutional mandate to conduct free, fair and acceptable non- violent election has held different stakeholders meetings to address challenges of the electoral process in the state.
Yakubu said “it is only the INEC that has the mandate to conduct elections in Nigeria and so when the constitution of Nigeria was drafted, the authors deliberately created the INEC to regulate the electoral process and political parties in the country to bring sanity to the system”.
Fielding questions from journalists shortly after the meeting, Yakubu restated the resolve of the electoral body to conduct credible and violent free polls, emphasizing that the processes of conducting acceptable, free and fair elections is not just the exclusive preserve of INEC but that stakeholders must partner the commission to ensure the process.
Also speaking, Director- General, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier- General Shuaibu Ibrahim commended INEC for the meeting, harping that the NYSC is willing to partner the electoral umpire in conducting free and acceptable elections in the state and other parts of the country when called upon.
The Director- General stressed the need for the safety and the security of corps members recruited for the elections, saying while his office is ready to partner INEC for the polls, the commission and security agencies deployed to the election should protect youth corps members from harassment and violent attacks.
In the same vein, the Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC Pastor Monday Udom has reiterated his commitment towards ensuring that the forth coming Guber polls is violent free, peaceful and credible.
Udom stated this on the sideline of the stakeholders meeting held by INEC, stressing that through collaboration with stakeholders these feats are realizable.
