Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has announced that 22,239 personnel will be deployed to ensure security during the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State. These officers will collaborate with other security agencies to maintain peace and order across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Represented by Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) for Zone 17, Abiodun Asabi, Egbetokun shared this information at a stakeholders’ meeting on the Ondo State governorship election held in Akure on Thursday.
Egbetokun emphasized that the election is a vital democratic exercise, allowing citizens to freely choose their leaders through majority votes.
He underscored that the success of the election relies on maintaining peace, order, and security throughout the process.
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“This can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergised security agencies assigned for the election. In order to deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise,” he said.
The IGP added that it was important for the stakeholders in the election process to discharge their duties with security-conscious approaches.
According to him, performing the roles in a fair and orderly manner would reduce the security threats to the barest minimum, with a far-reaching effect on the credibility of the exercise.
The police boss observed that some major political parties participating in the election continued to heat up the polity, thereby posing security threats ahead of the exercise.
“The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible to provide security in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergise and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud all security threats, provide tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state,” he said.
While urging party agents and other stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully for a successful election, Egbetokun warned that violators of electoral law risked being jailed.
“All stakeholders should eschew violence, avoid the do-or-die approach, should not employ thuggery and play the game according to the rules with sportsmanship spirit that will enable the loser to lose gallantly and the winner to be magnimous in victory,” the IGP added.
He assured that the police would make every effort to ensure a smooth and conducive environment before, during, and after the election.
“We shall ensure that the success recorded in the Edo election will be improved upon,” the IGP said.
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