The Nigeria Police Force has declared that the 2023 general elections will hold under a peaceful atmosphere in all the geo-political zones of the country noting that the threat analysis carried out by the force has not revealed anything contrary.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi who made this known in Abuja on Friday, said, “The North East and the North West where these fears are coming from are now stable as security agencies have flushed out the criminal elements. We are in the process of peacebuilding in those areas now”
Asked if the Police can guarantee the safety of the electorates in all parts of the country, Adejobi said, “With the operational order signed for the 2023 elections, there will be no problem. President Muhammadu Buhari has also said he will bequeath peaceful and secured elections in 2023 and the IGP is working towards achieving that mandate”.
“ So we are going to have elections in all the six geopolitical zones. No cause for alarm. We are working with other security agencies, the military, Civil Defence Corps and others. Every polling unit in the country will have policemen, then the military will at a vantage position/perimeter providing security support”.
Recall that some stakeholders and prominent citizens have expressed concern over security challenges in certain parts of the country warning that unless the insecurity ravaging the country were adequately stopped, the 2023 general election may be threatened
A former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega at a recent roundtable at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, had said, “Insecurity which is ravaging the country poses a serious threat to the 2023 general elections. The threats must be effectively tackled to ensure the conduct of the elections.
He added that, “Unless elections are conducted in an environment that is peaceful and secure, its integrity and even the legitimacy of the outcome of that election will be questioned.
“Security challenges undermine electoral integrity. It constrains or disrupts preparations and conduct of elections and it leads to partial or totally illegitimate electoral outcomes.
However, speaking on the scheduled Police Retreat for Senior Officers to hold in Owerri, Imo State, the Force PRO said, “As a democratic nation, the security of lives and property is a fundamental duty of government and the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency in internal security, is unrelenting in ensuring that the people experience a friendly policing system that will perpetually be a threat to villains and other purveyors of crimes and criminality within our communities.
“it is a fundamental principle of democracy for the people to express their rights to elect representatives in governance in an environment devoid of malpractices, oppression, and insecurity.
“The quest to secure the electorates and the electioneering process for free, fair and credible elections have been a mandate of IGP Usman Alkali Baba’s administration since inception in office up until this moment, and even beyond.
“This is why the Force under his leadership, has embarked on deliberate measures and policy drives to ensure that election security management is given priority of place with necessary and continuous training and capacity development to ensure the conduct of credible elections in the country.