The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has said 4,390 combined forces of soldiers and other paramilitary outfits will be deployed for the Ekiti governorship election will holds on Saturday.
The deployment, Mr Idris said, would complement the 30,000 police officers already drawn up for deployment at the election.
He said a Deputy Inspector General of Police, an Assistant Inspector General of Police and five Commissioners of Police would be coordinating the security apparatus during the election.
Mr Idris gave the details at the stakeholders meeting held in Ado-Ekiti on Monday to herald the preparedness of INEC and other stakeholders for the election.
The police boss warned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from arming thugs, stating that those arrested would be prosecuted in line with the relevant laws.
“We want all party supporters to refrain from all acts that can precipitate violence at the polling booths such as canvassing for votes, wearing of party insignias, dissuading voters from voting for candidates of their choices, loitering and blaring of siren on the
day of election,” he said.
“We will also not tolerate ignoring of restriction of movement orders by the police. Don’t see election as a matter of life and death.
“Let me state that police will not hesitate to deal with anybody no matter how highly placed found flouting electoral laws.
“Let me call for the collaboration and support of the entire sister agencies and the INEC officials. Police officers have been warned to be of good conduct during and after the election.
“If you notice any misconduct on the part of any police, do not hesitate to report to the senior officers on the ground or contact me directly.”
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who also spoke at the meeting, said the commission decided to distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the ward level to motivate the electorate to collect their PVCs which they would use during the election.
“For transparency, all uncollected PVCs will be brought to INEC office in Ado Ekiti and warehoused for safe keeping until a new date is fixed to resume the PVC collection,” declared Mr Yakubu.
“However, since the Anambra State Governorship election held in November 2017, we have introduced an additional measure of transparency.
“I wish to reassure that our officials are under strict instruction to remain neutral. We have also accredited credible foreign and local observers to monitor this election.
“We are confident that with the arrangements we have put in place, Ekiti State Governorship election will be another good example of free, fair, credible and peaceful election and a further affirmation of the maturity of our democracy.”
The Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdulganiyu Raji, said a total of 913, 334 have been registered by the commission out of which 667,064 had collected their PVCs.
Raji said the commission still had a total of 246,270 unclaimed PVCs that were yet to be collected by owners.
