IG Egbetokun Orders No Quasi-Security Groups for Election Duty, Assures Voters of Safe Polls

Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Sunday, ordered that no quasi-security organisation, including state-backed groups, like Vigilante Corps or Amotekun, would be permitted to participate in the Saturday election.

Reaffirming the established guidelines governing election security management, Egbetokun also issued stern warning to political thugs and individuals or groups that might contemplate acts of violence or disruption before, during, or after the election, saying they would face the full force of the law.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) also appealed to the people of Ondo State not to sell their votes. They reminded the people that selling their votes meant selling their right to question the government in power.

A statement by the force spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, “The message is clear. Those who attempt to jeopardise the peace and security of the state will not go unpunished.”

Egbetokun further assured the public of the unwavering readiness of the police to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process across all 18 local government areas, 203 wards, and 3,933 polling units in the state.

He stated that the security of the election was a responsibility entrusted solely to the police and other federal security agencies, along with the broader membership of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

The police, in collaboration with other federal security agencies, he said, remained committed, vigilant, and fully prepared to ensure that the Ondo State governorship election proceeded smoothly, without incident, and in accordance with the highest standards of electoral integrity.

The IG revealed that a comprehensive plan had been set in motion to guarantee a smooth election, including the strategic deployment of adequate personnel, resources, and state-of-the-art equipment.

According to him, “The deployment will see officers from various specialised units, including the Special Intervention Squad, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, K-9 Unit, Federal Investigation and Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), and Federal Intelligence and Security Task Force (FID-STS), working in concert with other security agencies.

“These agencies will adhere strictly to the guidelines of the Electoral Act, 2022, ensuring that all measures taken align with the principles of fairness, transparency, and order.”

Egbetokun also disclosed that in addition to ground personnel, aerial patrols would be conducted with police helicopters, while gunboats would patrol the state’s waterways and riverine areas to ensure security across all terrains.

He said the comprehensive measures would serve as a deterrent to any attempt to disrupt the electoral process and would enhance the overall stability of the elections.

PDP, CUPP Caution Electorate

PDP and CUPP appealed to the people of Ondo State to shun selling their votes.

In an interview with THISDAY, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said, “The issue of vote buying is becoming a cancer in our electoral history. There is actually nothing we can do about it because both the electoral body and the security agencies are complicit.

”The only thing we can do is to appeal to their conscience because selling their votes is to sell their conscience and this will deprive them from questioning the government in power when things are going wrong.”

Ologunagba called for reform of the electoral act to include some of the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais commission, such as setting up an electoral offences commission to try electoral offenders.

He said, ”When the electorate know that there are consequences for their actions, in the form of prosecution, it could go a long way to deter such criminal actions in many ways that it affects the integrity of elections.”

Secretary of CUPP, Chief Peter Ameh, expressed concern about the culture of vote buying, calling on opposition parties to take proactive measures to prevent it.

Speaking with THISDAY, Ameh, who was chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), said, ”The security agencies in Nigeria have been accused of complicity in vote-buying, a criminality that undermines the country’s democratic process.

“This accusation stems from their apparent lack of action against vote buying, which many believe is due to their desire to maintain favour with those in power.”

A non-governmental organisation, Yiaga Africa, also alleged that political parties and candidates in Ondo State had resorted to inducing voters with cash gifts and food items to secure their support ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

It said its Long Term Observers observed cases of voter inducement during campaign activities in Akure South, Ese-Odo, Ifedore, Irele, Ondo East, Ose, and Owo local government areas.

The organisation alleged that leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) distributed fertilisers, rice, cassava, and maize to community leaders tasked with distributing these items within their areas of influence.

The observation was contained in Yiaga’s Pre-election Assessment report presented at the signing of the ceremonial Peace Accord in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Chuks Okocha and Linus Aleke

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