Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on all...
Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Kogi
State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on all
security agencies to ensure adequate provision of security before, during and
after the election.
INEC’s Chairman, Prof
Mahmood Yakubu made the call in Lokoja on Wednesday while declaring open, a
three day training for security personnel for Kogi governorship election,
organized by The Electoral Institute (TEI) in collaboration with the European
Centre for Electoral Supports (ECES).
Yakubu, who was represented by the INEC’s National
Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa States, Mohammed Kudu
Haruna, maintained that security personnel were critical stakeholders in the
success of any given election.
He specifically urged security personnel that will be taking
part in the election to give attention to security of all categories of INEC
staff, electoral materials, the voters and the voting environment.
Earlier, Director General of TEI, Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris, in
his opening remarks, said adequate security was indispensable to the conduct of
credible, free and fair elections, hence, the need to train the security
personnel especially as it relates to their professional conducts and
observance of human rights while on election duties.
He said the training will among others provide them
understanding of key security procedures required to ensure safety of election
officials on election duties as well as strategies to be employed in handling
various forms of violence and other threats before, during and after the
election.
Commissioner of Police at the INEC Headquarters, Felix Gani,
in his address charged all security personnel for the Kogi election to be
professional, impartial and polite in the discharge of their duties. INEC’s
Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Prof James Apam, said insecurity had
remained a great challenge in most elections conducted in the state in the past
and therefore, appealed for a robust security arrangement in the forthcoming
election.
Amongst security organisations attending the training
include the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Army, the
DSS, the Navy, the Nigeria Correctional Service, Immigration, Customs and
NDLEA.
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