Fear, tension as Nigerians elect president
By TODAY’S Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold under intense national and international security watch, it was learnt on Friday.
Movement of persons and vehicles from 6a.m to 6p.m today is restricted throughout the country.
However, amidst nationwide lockdown, a climate of fear has also enveloped the country with a broad spectrum of public and private organisations taking measures to protect their employees.
Some companies, especially, in the oil and gas industry asked their employees “to work from home on Friday, Monday and, subject to instruction, Tuesday.”
Western countries have also issued travel warnings to their nationals ahead of the poll.
“The fears and apprehensions being nursed across the country are not just because of violence during the voting period but because of possible post-result announcement crisis,” a security source said.
While a massive movement of security personnel across the country has taken place in the last four days, security forces are said to have placed politicians and even officials of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) on surveillance to thwart any move to undermine the electoral process.
High-tech monitoring gadgets are also said to have been deployed by some international observers and the media to monitor critical participants in today’s presidential and National Assembly election, Saturday Tribune has learnt.
It was gathered that in order to ensure no foul play comes into play, the international community is also said to have activated surveillance intelligence reportedly aimed at covering whatever illegal electoral activities any of those under consideration, may want to engage in.
It will be recalled that secret recordings of vote buying in the Ekiti governorship election in 2018 was done by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which raised public awareness of the infraction.
Meetings, movements and other official and unofficial engagements of the said target individuals, before, during and after the voting exercise, Saturday Tribune gathered, are said to be the main focus of globally-powered surveillance.
Available information suggests that security instrument of higher intensity than what obtained in previous elections in the country, may be deployed by collaborating agencies to monitor those with proclivity for violence and foul play.
Senior members of the political class are not likely to be left out with a couple of them already said to be attracting special interest from the “anti-rigging solution providers”.
Bringing such individuals under the surveillance arrangement is reportedly aimed at catching them right in the act of their illegal activities and confronting them with incontrovertible pieces of evidence whenever it is time to bring up sanctions against them.
The United States of America, European Union and the United Kingdom have maintained a tough anti-rigging stance, to the discomfort of the ruling party, which has accused them of seeking to impugn the integrity of the polls even before they are held.
APC eventually called out the US ambassador, who denied the bias accusation.
While the extent of security watch could not be confirmed as of press time, the INEC is deemed an “institution of interest” in the surveillance arrangement, though it was learnt that a “good measure of confidence in the institution’s leadership,” is being maintained.
However, those with “credible suspicion around them of having close relations” with known political figures, “especially resident electoral commissioners” according to sourced information, would also have their activities monitored.
Political figures, not necessarily of high-electoral value, but with influence that can affect outcomes of the poll in substantial ways, are also included in the “persons-of-interest” list, Saturday Tribune was told.
A sort of categorization was also included in the profiling.
Election watchers with limitless opportunities of mobility during the poll, it was learnt, would be involved “in some kind of way” in the “entire arrangement to foil any form of rigging and violence during this election”, it was learnt.
Police: 4 CPs to monitor presidential poll in Ekiti State
The Ekiti State police command on Friday disclosed that three police commissioners have been deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu in join the one on the ground in the State, Mr. Asuquo Amba , to monitor today’s presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, who made this known said the Commissioners, whose names were not disclosed, would monitor each of the senatorial districts of the state.
He added that the police authority had also adopted new innovation to checkmate vote buying, saying that plain clothed operatives will be deployed to all the 2,195 polling units to arrest the perpetrators.
According to him “The operatives will mingle with voters and from there have the
knowledge of those engaging in this electoral offence”.
Ikechukwu informed that the security details of Very Important personalities, police orderly including politicians in the state have been withdrawn, with the exception of those of Governor Kayode Fayemi and his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi.
The PPRO added that three security men will be deployed to each of the polling units to secure the staff deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and both sensitive and insensitive materials to be used for the conduct of the elections.
He said “the security arrangements have been made in such a way that there would be no room for security lapses. Three security men comprising police, NSCDC and immigration officers will man each of the polling units.
“As of now, three police Commissioners are already on ground to work with CP Asuquo Amba, each of them will man the three senatorial districts to enforce compliance to restriction of vehicles , except those on essential services and to make sure that no one circumvents the laws of the land regarding these elections”.
He stated that the Special Tactical Unit of the police Force will be deployed to each of the 16 local government areas of the state to attend to emergency situations that could endanger the conduct of the polls.
Heavy security presence in Osun
There was heavy security presence in Osogbo on Friday as eligible voters are set to cast their votes at today’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Detachments of armed soldiers with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were spotted at some entry points into Osun State mounting road blocks to conduct searches on both private and commercial vehicles entering the state.
Some of the stern looking and heavily armed soldiers were seen at Owode and Aisu areas of Ede, along Gbongan-Ibadan expressway frisking occupants of vehicles.
These developments came as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state took delivery of sensitive materials that would be used for the elections at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Osogbo on Thursday evening.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in the state, Mr Olusegun Agbaje led the umpire’s delegation to the CBN office located beside the Osun State secretariat to receive the sensitive materials for the elections.
The vehicles, conveying the sensitive materials to the 30 local government areas and Area Office in Modakeke were tracked from Osogbo to their respective destinations.
Meanwhile, the Police command in Osun State have reiterated its determination to ensure the conduct of hitch free elections in Osun State, just as it announced restriction of vehicular movement between 6.00am and 6.00pm on election day.
According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Folasade Odoro, which was forwarded to Saturday Tribune in Osogbo, “the command is using this medium to appeal to parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to stay out of trouble during the period of elections and beyond.”
“The Commissioner of Police, Mrs Abiodun Ige urges all electorate to go to their various polling units along with their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) only and exercise their franchise without any breach of Electoral Act and other laws of the federation as applicable”, the statement added.
FRSC deploys 335 personnel in Kebbi
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kebbi has deployed over 335 personnel for the safety of road users, couriers of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the general elections in the state.
The Kebbi Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Abayomi Asaniyan, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
Asaniyan said the command had taken proactive measures to ensure crash-free and peaceful conduct of the elections across the state.
To this end, the sector commander said, seven patrol vehicles and one ambulance had been mobilised.
He said that the personnel were expected to ensure free flow of traffic, crowd control and removal of obstructions along the major roads in the state.
According to him, they are also to respond to road traffic emergencies and rescue mission in case of any eventuality.
Asaniyan also said that the command had concluded the inspection and certification of vehicles meant for conveyance of election materials to various polling units.
Difficult terrains: INEC to hire donkeys, bicycles in Gombe State
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to hire donkeys and bicycles to distribute election materials in hard-to-reach areas of Gombe State.
Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Friday.
Ibrahim said the difficult terrains were villages located in Yamaltu-Deba and Shingom Local Government Areas of the state.
“We will hire donkeys, bicycles and motorcycles to distribute election materials.
“This is because some of the areas lack access routes and INEC has made adequate arrangements in the area of logistics as well as other areas,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said the commission had made adequate arrangements in terms of security and conducted massive voter education.
He noted that there was provision for brail ballot papers for the blind and the lepers could use their legs to vote.
Ibrahim said INEC also made provision for magnifier for those that have problem with their sight.
He also said the commission mounted tracking system and monitors for the election process.
Sokoto State gets 5, 500 corps members as ad hoc staff
Mr Philip Enaberue, the Sokoto State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said 5, 500 corps members will serve as ad hoc staff in the Saturday election in the state.
Enaberue made this disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Sokoto.
He said the Director-General of the NYSC, Maj.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, had sent a delegation from the NYSC headquarters to interact with the corps members in readiness for any election challenges.
Enaberue reaffirmed the commitment of the NYSC management to continue to encourage the youth corps members to exhibit good conduct at all times.
He quoted the director -general as advising corps members to resist the temptation to compromise the guidelines of the elections, by remaining neutral and apolitical in the course of discharging their duties.
Enaberue said the DG urged corps members, who are participating in the 2019 elections to ensure due diligence and transparency in their conduct.
According to him, any member, who violates the rules or flouts the rules of engagement will face the full wrath of the law.
He warned that the image of the scheme must not be brought to disrepute in the course of this assignment.
Enaberue enjoined corps members to remain neutral in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He reassured the corps members of adequate security during the elections, as relevant stakeholders, including security operatives had planned to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.
The NYSC coordinator lauded INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders on their cordial working relationships with the NYSC and called for its sustainability.
Enaberue said the corps members had so far recorded tremendous achievements in the past election duties, which had earned NYSC a deserved recognition.
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