FCT POLLS: NIGERIA POLICE TO FLOOD POLLING UNITS IN THE FCT-CP Inalegwu.
***Voting & Accreditation to take Place Simultaneously-INEC
The Police in Federal Capital Territory has said it will ensure nobody disturbs peace at all polling units in the March 19 Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the capital city with FCT CP, Wilson Inalegwu saying “we will be all over the place to arrest trouble makers in any form”.
The CP made the disclosure just as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the FCT, Prof. Jacob Jatau stated that accreditation of voters and actual will go on simultaneously at all polling stations and that the exercise will start by 8 am and close by 2pm.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting held with candidates, political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, National Orientation Agency, the Media and civil society organizations in Abuja, the FCT Police Commissioner said, “Security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) have been meeting in preparation for this election since last year in order to ensure it is peaceful, free and fair”.
“Consequently, we have set up a Joint Information and Control Center. We have also set up Joint Response teams comprising the Police, Military, Para-military organizations for immediate deployments in case of any distress.
“Therefore, let me advise you (stakeholders; don’t go to campaign grounds with firearms, machetes, daggers, arrows or sticks. As you know, possession of weapons, firearms is against the law and those caught will be dealt with”.
“And as you are aware, campaigns close of the 16th of March. So don’t carry or involve yourselves in party matters after March 17th. During the elections, don’t steal ballot papers or ballot boxes because we will be all over the place and you will be arrested”.
“We will do everything possible to ensure our people freely express their franchise by ensuring level playing ground for all.”
On his part, Professor Jatau told the stakeholders, “Our aim of calling you is to have an election in the FCT that is free, fair and peaceful on March 19, 2016. That is our desire in INEC. We have prepared for it. We will give all political parties level playing field.
Disclosing that continuous voters registration was being undertaken by FCT INEC, Jatau said “So far in the continuous registration exercise, we have registered 82, 000 extra voters and we have given out PVC’s to registered voters. Those yet to collect PVC’s should do so, on or before Wednesday 16th March 2016 when we will stop.
The INEC Commissioner then warned that “without PVC’s, nobody will be allowed to vote. We will use card readers because they have helped us to conduct elections transparently in the FCT. This is because we have recorded a very high authentication of card readers that has been tried, tested and it was very successful in the past elections”.
END
