Election: Police in Anambra pledge impartiality, professionalism

Election: Police in Anambra pledge impartiality, professionalism

The Police Command in Anambra has pledged to maintain absolute neutrality and professionalism in the state while providing security during the Feb. 16 and March 2 general elections.

CP Garba Umar, the Commissioner of Police in the state gave this assurance at a meeting with the Electoral Stakeholders and signing of Peace Accord at the Command Headquarters in Awka on Wednesday.

He said that 28 potential electoral violence instigators were arrested during the last governorship election in the state following some intelligence information.

Police

Umar urged the people of Anambra to help the police with useful information that would help them carry out their duties effectively.

“The Police do not know these political thugs and their sponsors, if you have information about them, please provide us with the information so we can go after them.

“It is not our duty to tell INEC how to do their job but it is our duty to provide security for the arrangement and arrest anybody who indulges in electoral misconduct.

“Remember that INEC says nobody should go to the polling cubicle with phones as a way of curbing vote buying, so we will not tolerate that, the Police have no interest in any political party.’’

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Umar said some strategic plan of action had been put in place to ensure peaceful poll including training and capacity building for personnel, identifying flashpoints and effective partnership with sister agencies.

Others are provision of accredited local and international observers, adequate security architecture for INEC staff, electoral facilities and material as well as regular show of force.

“Consequently, I want to use this opportunity to warn all political thugs, their sponsors and other misguided elements who want to truncate the electoral process to have a rethink,” he said.
Mr Harry Oranezi, Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra said the people of the state are peace loving with no history of electoral violence.

Oranezi said the major danger the electoral process would face in Anambra was vote buying and urged the Police to put adequate measures in place to stop it.

He said election rigging was actually carried out at the collation centres and not poling units.

He urged the Police should grant all properly accredited sorry agents and election observers should be granted unfettered access to collation centres as chasing them away would undermine the credibility of figures to be released.

“We are peaceful people who value our lives because we know it is irreplaceable; the highest electoral crime Anambra man will commit is to collect money.

“However, our main challenge here will be at the collation centres, all accredited agents should be given access to the collation centres,” he said.

Also speaking, Chief Chris Ejidike, Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state also highlighted the possible challenge of vote buying.

He said the APC had been working to earn the votes of the people as well as urging its supporters to be peaceful and law abiding.

Another stakeholder, Mr Mathias Ameke, a candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) for Anambra West Seat in the state House of Assembly said the police should provide fair and equal protection for all political parties as against preference for the big parties.

He said there was a possible threat of invasion by herdsmen which had been causing panic with likely consequences of apathy in his area.

Ameke called on the police to give special attention to the area and guarantee the safety of people.

Mr Chukwuka Uchenna from the International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre said there was need for pre-election day security.

Uchenna said experience had shown that police personnel allegedly played a role in vote buying and urged the CP to warn his men to desist from such act.

The stakeholders’ meeting which was attended by candidates, political parties, and civil society including the European Union ended with the symbolic signing of Peace Accord.