The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Emmanuel Ojukwu, has warned the electorate to cast their votes and go back home instead remaining at the polling units in the November 21 governorship election.
Ojukwu who spoke at a workshop organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today, said that there is no reason whatsoever for voters to remain at the polling units after casting their votes.
“We are not closing our eyes to the issues of rising insecurity in the state. That is why we want to block every likely avenue for any crisis.
“The police are fully prepared and committed to ensure peaceful conduct of the election and safety of lives and property. We have identified hot spots, areas that are prone to election violence and we are up to the task.
“Our expectations are the expectations of the people of Kogi State, which are free, fair, credible and peaceful election.”
The commissioner said that the duties of the police is to ensure a level playing ground for all political parties and their respective candidates, even as he further warned politicians and their supporters to shun any form of violence that could disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election.
According to him, any crises precipitated by electoral crises in Kogi State could impact negatively on nine other states with which it shared border.
“No fewer than 20 states pass through Kogi to get to their various destinations. Movement will not be totally restricted because of the motorists that are transiting the state to their destinations.”
Mike Omeri, the Director-General of the NOA, said the essence of the training was for effective sensitization and mobilization of the electorate toward the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Omeri, who was represented by Ngozi Ekeoba, the Director of Political and Civil Education, urged participants to be proactive in educating and sensitising stakeholders on the need for peaceful election.
“The programme is in line with the agency’s policies to ensure that staff are psychologically sound for election coverage,” he said.
Mintwab Zelelew, the Director of UNDP Democratic Governance for Development, said the primary objective of the training was to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
Zelelew said: “Our partnership with NOA is to ensure that sensitisation programmes are frequently conducted all over the 774 local government areas in the country.
“This election will be keenly contested, hence adequate measures must be put in place to ensure free, fair and credible election.” [myad]
