IGP Alkali Baba
Osun 2022: IGP Deploys 21,000 Police Officers
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba on Tuesday said that a total number of 21,000 police personnel would be deployed to monitor and maintain orderliness in the July 16th governorship election in Osun state as part of the election security plan.
The Inspector general of Police made this known at the Osun State Governorship election stakeholders meeting held at the Civic Centre, Osogbo.
He added that all three senatorial districts, 332 wards and polling units have been appropriately mapped out and put for the deployment of adequate personnel who will be on the ground to maintain peace and order before, during and after the election.
The police will be deployed to protect the facilities of INEC and its personnel.
“This deployment is not meant to intimidate any law-abiding citizens rather it is to deter misguided elements that may threaten the conduct of the election and violate the electoral act. It also serves as a strong warning that government is determined to protect the citizens.”
Alkali Baba who further maintained that the police will not allow any person or group of people in the society to derail the electoral process affirmed that, “no one is allowed to move about from one polling unit to another as there will be restrictions on movement on the day of the election.”
“I enjoin the political, opinion, and community leaders to provide the moral leadership that will motivate citizens to conduct themselves according to electoral law and the constitution of Nigeria.
“You are all to be guided by the following during the election. No one is allowed to wear any cloth, emblem or colour that signifies any political parties in the polling units. No person is allowed to move around with security details around the polling units. Indeed, the appropriate directive has been given for the withdrawal of details around politically exposed persons.
“Everyone is enjoined to vote and return to their respective houses within approved perimeters of the polling centres.
“Only INEC accredited election monitors, observers are permitted to move around for the purpose of election monitoring and they must all wear their INEC accreditation tags.
“Only accredited journalists are allowed to cover the election. Vote-buying or any form of inducement are not allowed and remain a very serious offence.
“Praise singing, dancing, and drumming around the vicinity are not allowed around the polling units. Vehicles branded with any political parties should not be deployed for any election assignment. Selling alcoholic beverages around the polling section, booth, or collation centres is totally banned.
“Anybody who causes violence around polling units or threatens public peace in any manner before, during and after an election shall be apprehended and dealt with according to law,” he submitted.
In his own submission, the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, appealed to all registered voters that are yet to collect their PVCs to seize the opportunity of the additional measures to do so.
He said: “Many of the PVCs have already been collected by citizens. Of the 1,955,657 registered voters in Osun State, 1,479,595 (or 76%) have collected their cards as at Sunday 10th July 2022. We are also updating our records to provide detailed breakdown of PVCs collected by polling units. This will be concluded and made available on Friday 15th July 2022.
“This is important because the total number of PVCs collected will be used to determine the margin of lead principle, as against the total number of registered voters in line with our regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections in 2022 derived from the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
“To underscore our commitment to an inclusive, credible and transparent electoral process, the Commission is deploying assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to have a more pleasant voting experience on Election Day. Magnifying glasses, Braille Ballot Guide and Posters for voters with hard of hearing conditions will be deployed at polling unit level in areas of need based on data collected in collaboration with the PwD community.
“Similarly, our revised Regulations and Guidelines provide for priority to be accorded at polling units to PwDs without waiting in long queues during voting as is the case with elderly people, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
“Beyond these measures, we also want to make PwDs get more involved in election administration like everyone else. In this regard, the 2022 Osun State Governorship election will also make history, being the first election in which INEC is deploying PwDs as ad hoc staff.
“Thirty-five (35) serving NYSC members with one form of disability or another have been identified, trained and engaged as ad hoc staff at the polling unit level. I appeal to all stakeholders to cooperate with, and protect them, as well as all other ad hoc staff, in our effort to make our electoral process more inclusive and participatory.
“The Commission continues to deploy technology in the electoral process both as a matter of practice and a requirement of the law. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed for voter accreditation and uploading of election results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day. Steps have been taken to ensure that the BVAS machines function optimally during voter accreditation based on lessons learnt from the conduct of recent elections.
“A few weeks ago, a mock accreditation exercise was conducted in polling units across the state. I personally observed the exercise in Osogbo and Boripe LGAs in Osun Central as well as Ede South and Egbedore LGAs in Osun West Senatorial Districts. I also visited our Ife Central, Ife East and Ife North LGA offices in Osun East Senatorial District. We are encouraged by the successful outcome of the mock exercise and the level of preparations by our offices.
“We have also trained enough Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) and made adequate transportation arrangements for their rapid response in the event of reported glitches on election day.
“The Commission has accredited Polling Agents nominated by political parties for the 3,763 polling units, 332 Ward collation centres, 30 Local Government Area collation centres and the State Collation Centre where the final declaration of result will be made.
“As an indication of the intense national and international interest in the 2022 Osun State Governorship Election, 87 Observer groups (79 domestic and 8 international) deploying a total of 7,790 field observers have been accredited for the election. Similarly, 94 media organisations (92 national and 2 international), deploying 624 journalists have been accredited to cover the election.
“On Election Day, the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja will monitor the election throughout the State. Our Zoom Situation Room will be activated. We are working to ensure that accredited observers and the media are invited to join us at intervals to provide live reports from the field. At the same time, citizens can contact us on our various platforms such as the toll-free INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) telephone line in addition to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“I cannot conclude my remarks without addressing a matter of serious concern to our elections. Here, I am referring to sundry violations of our electoral law, including the diabolical practice of vote-buying in which voters are financially induced to vote one way or another. It is obvious that the more the Commission and other stakeholders work hard to progressively improve the quality of national elections in Nigeria, the more some retrogressive elements try to undermine the process.
“While we will continue to work with the security and anti-corruption agencies to confront this challenge, our effort will be given a boost by the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal as recommended by the Uwais Committee in 2009, reinforced by the Lemu Committee in 2011 and the Nnamani Committee in 2017. Happily, the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill is under consideration of the National Assembly. INEC supports this initiative and appeals to the National Assembly for a speedy conclusion and passage of the Bill into law.”
Also, the state resident electoral Commissioner of INEC, Prof. AbdulGaniy Olayinka Raji, stated that “flash points have been identified and strategies mapped out to resolve issues that can truncate election process, conversion of voting points to polling units to ensure the expansion of voter access to polling units, more so, polling units were moved away from controversial areas such as the front of houses of politicians, front of palaces, religious centres either to open spaces or public buildings, this action is to ensure adequate security and peaceful elections.”
“As I speak to you, all non-sensitive materials already batched to polling unit level and ready to be conveyed to the RACs, sensitive materials should arrive today, production of maps of all polling units in the state both electronically and hardcopy for ease of movement and location of polling units by the staff of INEC, poll officials are trained and ready for deployment, security personnel in the State has been trained, INEC had met with stakeholders in their categories while this particular meeting is the final one towards the July 16 election, the conduct of mock accreditation in selected LGAs to ensure the functionality of BVAS and readiness assessment of the election process.
“Ongoing collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) at the Registration Area/Ward Level to ensure no eligible Voter is disenfranchised, this PVC Collection Exercise will come to an end on Thursday 14th July, 2022, massive Voter Education and Awareness across LGAs, all these activities is to ensure a hitch-free election.
“As we are all aware, the impressive outcome experienced in the Ekiti State election is a good reflection of the level of planning and preparation and we are super ready to beat Ekiti’s record in Osun State by announcing the result in less than 12 hours. To ensure this, we must all be on the same page and work towards a common goal of credible, fair, free and conclusive Governorship Election,” he stressed.