Jega Wants IG To Deal With Politicians Who Violate Electoral Laws

CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday appealed to the acting Inspector-General of police, Mr Solomon Arase, to deal decisively with any government officials, candidates, politicians and other stakeholders who moves around the polling areas with private guards.

Jega said stakeholders who failed to comply with the laid down rules for the general elections was responsible for the cancellation and subsequent declaration as inconclusive the governorship polls in Imo and Abia states.

The INEC chairman made the appeal when he played host to the Ag. IGP at the commission headquarters in Abuja yesterday where the former called to intimate the commission of his preparation for today’s polls in Taraba, Imo and Abia states.

“Some of the challenges we face during the recent governorship elections were associated with the refusal of government officials, candidates and politicians to comply with the election rules.

“This phenomenon was largely the cause of the problems in particularly Imo and Abia- a situation when government officials would be moving with private personnel on the election day was wrong,” Jega said.

While congratulating the Ag IGP over his new appointment, the INEC chairman recalled that the immediate-past IGP, Sulaiman Abba, had worked cordially with the commission, a development that saw the relationship reached its highest level in history.
Earlier, the Ag IGP, Arase, said having assumed duty just two days ago, he had already taken measures that would ensure a hitch-free supplementary polls holding today.

He said a new methodology would be adopted by the police authorities to tackle the security challenges encountered during the recent polls with senior police officers deployed to the states where the polls are taking place.

Arase said the police would not allow anybody to create any chaos, as perpetrators of the election violence would face the wrath of the security agency.

The IGP assured the INEC chairman of the police readiness to see to the free, fair and credible supplementary polls in the three states and other areas in Kogi and Delta states.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure effective oversight on the Supplementary Governorship Elections coming up in Abia, Imo and Taraba states today, INEC has deployed three national commissioners to each of the states on supervisory duties.

INEC, in a statement in Abuja yesterday said, the National Commissioners would be assisted in each of the states by three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). These are besides the substantive RECs for the affected states