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OSUN: THE Independent National Electoral Commission in the State, led by the State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke sensitized police officers on Electoral Act and processes of the election as stipulated by the new legal framework.
The sensitisation was done at the Police College, Ila-Orangun on Tuesday 17th January 2023. The REC commended the efforts of the police officers on their bravery and support during past elections including the Osun governorship poll.
In his lecture, Agboke emphasized that Nigeria Police leads in the coordination of the actions of security agencies to provide electoral security. He said, “This task falls within the mandate of the police in the context of internal security operations ICESS is made up of heads of all Security Agencies as the national, State or Local Government Area Levels.”
Agboke further stated that as far as the electoral process is concerned, all agencies would perform collaborative and complementary roles to one another, which according to him includes the need to engender mutual intelligence sharing at the strategic level which in turn impacts on operational planning and effectiveness of each agency.
“Effective coordination amongst security agencies and unhindered communication of information would ensure synergy and accountability in the effective performance of the duties of security agencies in the overall interest of the electoral process”.
“It is recommended that improved coordination can be achieved through joint training and simulation exercises as the agencies provide security for the electoral process”.
Furthermore, the INEC chief said providing security for voting involve intensive cooperation with other agencies of state-police and military forces-with their own method of operations and priorities that may not be fully in line with that of election management.
Agboke disclosed that in the planning of voting site security, the essential issues include “ensuring that sufficient security resources are available in the specific locations during the hours required;
Fostering very close coordination between security forces management and election managers in developing security responses and voting site plans”.
However, The Nigerian Police must ensure that they assist INEC in looking out for
Those who sell any buy the PVC, whoever comes to the P.Us with a third-party PVC should be arrested.
“Those who sell and buy vote on Election Day should be arrested. Early morning parade tends to cause delay in the opening of the poll on the Election Day. Polls open by 8:30pm”.
“There should a rapid response squad to be strategically stationed to be able to arrest hoodlums who plan to orchestrate violence. Ensure orderliness at polling unit”, he concluded.
In an interview, he stated that the reason for the sensitisation was to sensitize the Police Mobile Force on their roles during and after the elections.
“Well, today we’ve come to let the Police Officers know their duties as police officers, we’ve also told them the exact perpetrators to look out for during the elections, in order to have a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the elections”.
Speaking with Newsmen, one of the commanders at the lecture , ACP Dashuwar Abuja stated that the lecture was very paramount as they were aware of their duties as police officers but with the new Electoral Act and development, they will ensure that they put more efforts and see to it that those that want to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the polling units will be apprehended.
The REC also paid courtesy visits to the Palaces of Orangun of Ila, Aragbiji of Iragbiji and Olokuku of Okuku urging the monarchs to beseech their residents to collect their Permanent Voters Cards so they can vote for the candidates of their choice.
INEC offices in Ila-Orangun and Odo Otin were also visited to know how residents have been coming for their PVCs.