Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, recently admonished supporters of his All Progressive Congress (APC) to eschew violence as the November 11 Governorship Election approaches. He charged them not to abuse anybody in governorship race because the APC believe they have a good gubernatorial candidate in Usman Ododo.
He charged that violence and crisis would not do anyone any good and enjoined APC members and supporters to be peaceful in their conduct for a successful election.
Bello tasked security agencies to be professional in the performance of their duties to keep the peace in Kogi State, before, during and after the governorship election.
Earlier, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said one of its major concerns in the conduct of the election is the prevailing security challenge in the state.
The Chairman, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this as he visited the state recently to monitor mock accreditation. Several stakeholders and concerned citizens of Kogi State have been calling on the Federal Government and leaderships of security agents to come to the aid of the electorates in Kogi State.
In 2019 election, it was reported that most of the security personnel did not use force at anyone in the polling units. There were no resistances as political thugs had their day shooting and snatching ballot boxes. The security personnel were unable to manage or prevent thugs and men in security uniforms from disrupting elections and carting away election materials.
This time around, both Kogi State Governor and the Chairman of INEC look unto the police, army, civil defense and other security agencies to ensure adequate security before, during and after the election.
Nigerians, and indeed, the people of Kogi State look unto the security agents to provide maximum security to enable free and fair election this time around. With improved election process by INEC, the onus now lie on security agents to do the needful, and not look away as political criminals unleash terror on the people of Kogi State who are expected to come out massively to perform their civic duty.
There are current reports of security personnel providing cover for political thugs as they attack their opponents without provocation, especially in Kogi East, of which an ASP was caught at Idah recently. This is an indelible dent on the image of police force in the state. The police should caution their personnel to choose the part of redeeming their image by avoiding financial gratifications from politicians who are out to enforce selfish interests and determinations. Inasmuch as there are not many consequences for electoral violence, politicians deploy all strategies to win an election.
We are not surprised that insecurity is a major concern in the off-cycle elections. People are desperate to win an election. Politicians are ready to kill as if an election is a do-or-die affair. Politicians have seen that there are not many consequences to election violence and thuggery. Security agencies must be on top of the situation and avoid being partisan or transactional.
Some security officers have become very partisan and transactional and might turn blind eyes to thuggery. We expect that the Nigeria Police Force, which is the lead agency, would have devised strategies for being in this situation. They should start by building a robust synergy with other robust security agencies. The police should be able to deploy enough officers to the state.
The new government under Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a task in their hands to prove to Nigerians that they are on top of the situation and that democracy exists in the country.
We understand that insecurity is not new, especially when it comes to election periods. In the past, we have experienced clashes among the party supporters that led to the burning of property and killing in most cases, like that of 2019 which was witnessed.
We believe proper planning, responsible policy, provision of adequate security, and transparency judgment will help to address the rising insecurity across the country. Security personnel play a crucial role in ensuring a peaceful and violence-free election process. In the upcoming November 11 Governorship Election in Kogi State, it is essential for security personnel to take proactive measures to prevent and effectively manage any potential incidents of political violence, to protect the integrity of the electoral process as political violence undermines the credibility and legitimacy of elections, casting doubt on the fairness and accuracy of the results.
The security personnel must ensure the safety of voters and election officials, as we all know, political violence leads to injuries, loss of life, and intimidation of voters and election officials, hindering their ability to participate in the electoral process freely and safely.Security agents are solely in charge of maintaining public order and security and must know that political violence can escalate into widespread unrest and instability, disrupting normal life and damaging property.
We expect all security agents to be conversant with intelligence gathering and risk assessment so as to identify potential hotspots for violence, monitor activities of political actors, and assess the risk of violence at polling stations and during rallies.The Inspector General of Police and his state Commissioners of Police have to ensure deployment of adequate personnel, so as to ensure sufficient deployment of well-trained and equipped security personnel to cover all polling stations, particularly those identified as high-risk areas.
The Visible presence and proactive patrolling by security personnel will help maintain a visible presence in sensitive areas to deter potential troublemakers and promptly respond to any signs of unrest.
Security men’s collaboration with electoral officials and community leaders is inevitable. They must work closely with electoral officials to ensure security arrangements are in place and engage with community leaders to promote peace and cooperation.
Security agents must ensure strict enforcement of electoral laws. They must enforce electoral laws impartially and take firm action against any attempts to disrupt the electoral process or intimidate voters. There must be absolute restriction of movements, for instance.
Let there be proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators; they should thoroughly investigate any incidents of political violence and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice to deter future occurrences.
Above all, sensitivity to human rights and community relations is important. Security agents must uphold human rights standards while carrying out security operations and maintain positive relations with the community to foster trust and cooperation.
Certainly, by implementing these measures, without fear or favour, security personnel can play a vital role in ensuring a peaceful and credible election in Kogi State, allowing the democratic process to unfold without fear or violence.
– Abdul Aji writes for Kogi State Newspaper
