Polls: Govt to deploy troops against thugs

TROOPS will be deployed 48 hours before the elections, it was announced yesterday.

This is to fight thuggery – one of the major problems of elections – according to police chief Hafiz Ringim.

The National Council of State (NCS) endorsed the measure at its meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, saying it was to checkmate violence. The council warned against ethnic and religious violence during the polls, adding that offenders will face the law.

The general elections are to begin on Saturday, with the National Assembly polls.

Those who have nothing to do with elections should be indoors during voting, the council – a conclave of former leaders, the President, the Vice President, governors and former Chief Justices – said.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega briefed  the meeting on preparations for the elections.

Former President Shehu Shagari, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and

Chief Ernest Shonekan were at the meeting. Former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, was absent.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, Ringim, with whom was Jega, said voters who wish to stay behind at the polling station after casting  their ballots would be allowed to stay. He, however, warned that anyone caught disturbing the peace and flow of the elections would not only be arrested, but would be prosecuted.

Ringim said: “48 hours or more before the elections, there would be increased deployment of mobile policemen, conventional policemen and other law enforcement agencies as well as the military. This is with a view to ensuring that no chances or opportunities are allowed for thugs, rogues and vagabonds to disrupt the exercise.

“Apart from this deployment, at the polling unit, there shall be police and other law enforcement agencies whose duty it is to ensure proper conduct of voters, as well as security of material and INEC officials.

“There shall be patrol in and around all voting areas by armed policemen as well as armed military officers. The fact remains that this country as well as the law enforcement agents representing this country are determined and will not allow any act of thuggery, any act of violence and any act that would disrupt the  conduct of free, fair, rancour free, peaceful …as well as acceptable general elections.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to make it clear that anybody within the vicinity of this election process that is found to be doing any act or conducting themselves in any manner inimical to the peaceful conduct of this election shall be arrested and shall be prosecuted.

“People will be allowed to stay or not, they would be allowed to stay there as long as they conduct themselves peacefully and not otherwise. Anybody that is found to be in a position to threaten the conduct of the election shall be arrested and prosecuted.”

Ringim got angry when reporters wanted to know what the police leadership was doing to ensure impartiality of the personnel.  The police chief said journalists were used to asking “unreasonable and irresponsible” questions. 

Jega said INEC planned to ensure a free, fair, credible and violence-free elections. 

He told reporters: “I made a presentation on behalf of INEC to the Council on the state of preparedness and, in summary, INEC is now well prepared, well positioned to conduct elections, which will go a long way to satisfy the aspirations of Nigerians for free and fair elections. We have prepared adequately in terms of logistics, in terms of the training of our staff and in terms of effective liaison with security agencies in order to provide security before, during and after the elections.

“There is a lot that have been put into this exercise and we plead for the support of all Nigerians to make the elections free and credible and to also make them non-violent. We preach peace and we want to work towards peace and to ensure there is no violence on election day.

“I am very pleased that one of the key issues at the Council of State today was the commitment of all stake holders to promote peace,  and to ensure that voters are adequately educated.”

The INEC chair said voting would begin at 12.30pm after the close of accreditation, which he said would end noon. Anybody who comes  after the set time will not be accredited, but anyone on queue will be allowed to vote, irrespective of the time.

“Anybody who isn’t on queue for voting after 12.30 pm won’t be allowed to vote,” Jega said.

He urged every voter who is accredited to vote to do so without any fear or favour, stressing that if they chose to wait to allow their votes to be counted, they must be law abiding.

Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, who is also the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum said the governors were committed to peaceful elections.

Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje said people who stay back to foment trouble at the voting centres would be prosecuted. 

Goje said President Jonathan assured the council of his commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections. 

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi said the council urged all stakeholders to put the nation first in whatever they do, especially in their utterances during the elections.