Ekiti 2018: CSO demands increased security in Ekiti

A civil society organisation, Democracy Vanguard, has called on the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State command, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Director of State Services to rejig the security architecture of the state as the 2018 governorship election processes begin.

The State Coordinator of the group, Yetunde Adeoluwa, said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, that “from experience, election period in the state witnessed violence in 2007, 2009 and 2014 and those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

“As at today, the polity is unnecessarily being heated up by the political class and if care is not taken, there may be voter apathy or political violence prior to the 14th July governorship election. In lieu of this, the needful must be done.”
Adeoluwa encouraged the security agencies in the state “not to take any information likely and scout for more intelligence so that political thugs could be curbed before the election day.”

She held that “nobody is above the law. Any political thug associated with any power bloc, be it state or federal should be arrested and detained so as to check others.”

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She also condemned speeches that could incite violence by some political leaders as “an unnecessary beating the drum of political war” saying “political captains, godfathers and candidates interested in the exalted office of the governor must be careful of the use of words as this could trigger violence among their supporters.”

“The Commissioner of Police, Commandant of civil defence and the Director of State services should prevent violence associated with Ekiti election by beefing up security strongly and if possible have deployment from other states so that the people can be at peace to enjoy their right to vote for or vote out.

“Democracy vanguard urges the Muslim community should seize this Ramadan period to keep praying for a violence-free governorship election,” she concluded.