Stakeholders task security agents on hitch-free election

A one-day stakeholders security summit on pre-election sensitisation to discuss  framework for a hitch-free conduct of the 2023 general election has ended in Asaba, Delta State with a call on the security agents to be alive to their responsibilities.

The summit, which was organised by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Delta State command in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Delta State chapter and Foundation for Human and Environmental Rights Protection (FHERP) attracted personalities from  the media, political parties, religious organisations, government parastatals, security agencies, human rights groups, non-government organisations (NGO), Civil Society Organisations (CSO), among others..

Speaking at the programme,  Pastor Edewor Egedegbe,  chairman of

TMG, Delta chapter and FHERP recommended that to set the narratives right in Nigerian electoral system,  there must be proper briefings on roles and responsibilities of INEC, security deployment must be professionally coordinated to curb compromise by erring security personnel while  security agencies must be alive to their responsibilities in ensuring  safety and security of INEC officials, infrastructure, voters and election observers, during and after elections.

He said that law enforcement agencies on election duty should nip in the bud electoral offences ranging from canvassing for votes, persuading any voter not to vote for any particular candidate or not to vote at all at elections; shouting slogans relating to the election; being in possession of any dangerous chemical (acid), weapons or missile and wearing any dress or having facial or other decorations intended to intimidate voters; loitering around voting arenas, among others.

He called on INEC to partner with critical stakeholders in organising series of programmes to deepen citizens’ understanding, especially the youth and politicians on the need to have a violence-free election.

Pastor Egedegbe said that following direct involvement of security forces in elections, it had been reported that the electorate feel intimidated by the presence of armed security forces  which sometimes accounted for low turnout of voters during elections.

On the role of the media towards achieving a violenc-free election, Egedegbe noted that the Nigerian media has shown a lot of commitment in that regard.

, especially in relation to cases of violence, describing the Nigerian media as one filled with vigour.

The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Delta State, Monday Udoh, who was represented by Angela Iguehi Ebhodaghe, commended the conveners of the event for charting a progressive path to achieving a peaceful election in 2023.

The INEC boss charged politicians to  desist from using slogans tainted with abuses and hate in their campaigns, just as he  particularly advised the youth to shun violence and resist the ploy by dubious politicians to use them to perpetrate violence during elections,

Commissioner of police in the state, Ari Mohammed Ali appreciated the organisers of the summit, charging political parties and party faithful to go about their political campaign in an atmosphere of peace.

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