■ Election: INEC advises, polls will commence as schedule
■ Postpones Enugu East-Senatorial election to March 11
■ Police, security agencies deploy 425,106 personnel, 74 armoured, carriers, drones, others
■ Confrms threats persists from IPOB, bandits, Boko Haram, insists election must go on
■ Constitute election offenses investigation unit in states
■ Restricts movement nationwide
Prof Mahmood Yakubu , chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that polls will open nationwide as scheduled at 8.30 am and close by 2.30pm.
He said that the Commission received a satisfactory result from countrywide distribution of election materials to Registration Area Centres (RACs).
Yakubu, while giving update on preparations for the poll at its second daily briefing, Friday in Abuja, noted that the RACs have been activated with the arrival of election duty staff who are expected to distribute elections materials to the polling units early Saturday morning.
He said, “Voting begins at 8.30am and ends at 2.30pm tomorrow. However, any voter who is on the queue before 2.30pm will be allowed to vote even if voting goes beyond the official closing time. No voter will be disenfranchised.
“Generally speaking, the situation nationwide is calm as far as our preparations are concerned. There has been no incident involving the personnel or huge quantities of materials deployed by the Commission. Voter enthusiasm is high and so too is our determination to conduct credible elections,” he said
He noted that development in Imo State where election duty staff, in some polling units and local government areas including Orsu, Orlu and Okigwe have reportedly refused to show up because of the security problems in the area. The NYSC have also reportedly withdrawn its services in some of the polls.
“From the report we received from our State office, concerns have been expressed about the security situation in Osu Local Government Area, five Wards in Okigwe and six in Orlu.
“However, we have been assured that with enough mobilisation of security personnel to the area, it is possible for elections to hold in these locations. I have been in touch with the IGP who will brief us on their plans to secure these locations for elections to hold peacefully.
On Enugu East Senatorial district where the Labour Party candidate was killed recently, the commission said it has adjusted the calendar for that election to hold March 11 alongside the governorship and state Assembly elections .
To this end he said campaign for the position will continue so as to accommodate whoever emerges from the primary soon to be conducted by the Labour Party to replace the deceased candidate.
Alkali Baba, Inspector General of Police, in his speech, declared the readiness of the security agencies for the polls, just as he announced the restriction of movement nationwide while the polls lasted . Such restrictions he said was necessary to curtail activities of miscreants who may want to disrupt the process.
Alkali Baba again reassured Nigerians that security agencies are poised to secure the process and guarantee a violence free poll.
He urged voters to come out and exercise their civic duties without fear, noting that a security agencies under the aegis of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) have deployed massively to ensure a peaceful poll.
On the reported questionable role by his men in previous elections the IGP reminded his men that while there is no fresh oath of neutrality, they should remember that are bounded by to the oath of allegiance which they all swore when they joined the force.
“We have developed a code of conduct guiding operation of the police during the election ” he added .
He said a combined total of 425,106 personnel and other operational assets including armoured personnel carrier, drone and helicopters have been deployed to ensure prompt response to any security threats.
The IGP however noted that the force is not unaware of threats from the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Bandits, Boko Haram and other criminal gangs, adding no part of the country is barred from access of the security agencies.
According to him, the security agencies are working with the threat analysis generated by the security agencies, civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and INEC stressing that no quasi security bodies should be involved in policing the election.
He gave details of the deployments as follows Police – 310,973, NSCDC -21,000, FRSC-21,000, NCoS -11,336, NDLEA -9,447, EFCC -350 and NIS- 11,000.
While emphasising the seriously which the police attaches to the coming election, IGP Baba disclosed that force has constituted Election Offenses investigation unit under the Criminal Investigation Department with aim to track, investigate and prosecute election offenders.
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