Police warn thugs, deploy 22,239 officers for Ondo guber election

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has said that 22,239 Police personnel would be deployed to Ondo State for next Saturday’s governorship election in the state. 

Egbetokun who disclosed the stakeholders meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Akure on Thursday observed that the success of any important process like the forthcoming Governorship election depends on peace, order, and security. 

Stressing that a breach of the peace or security can surely scuttle the success expected in the exercise, the IGP represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, Abiodun Olabisi called on stakeholders to discharge our various duties with security-conscious approaches.

The Police boss said: “The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible for providing security 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. 

“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 can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergized security agencies assigned for the election duties.

“In order to deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise.”

Egbetokun urged political parties, contesting candidates and their agents to conduct themselves peacefully and lawfully, in line with global best practices of democracy.

“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 said.

“It should be stated that violators of electoral laws run the risk of diligent prosecution. He that loses today may win tomorrow- there is always hope for the future.” 

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who noted that the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election is of global interest, disclosed that sensitive election materials will arrive in the state next week Tuesday. 

Disclosing that the mock accreditation in 12 polling units across six Local Government Areas in the three Senatorial Districts of the State was successful, Yakubu clarified that machines used for the mock accreditation and the training of officials will not be used on Election Day. 

He said the commission possesses sufficient machines for the election which have been configured for voter accreditation and the upload of results distinct from those used for mock accreditation and training. 

“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. 

“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.

“We have warned our staff that there will be consequences for dereliction of duty in any way or form. Tomorrow afternoon, I am going to address the staff, including the Electoral Officers from the 18 Local Government Areas.”