Barely a week to the governorship election in Ondo State, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has expressed assurance that the poll would be free of violence as the police would be on the ground to avert the breakdown of law and order.
The IGP also disclosed that a total of 22,239 officers and men would be deployed to ensure adequate security of lives and property before, during and after the 16 November poll.
Egbetokun disclosed this at the stakeholders’ meeting on the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, held in Akure, the state capital, on Thursday.
The meeting was organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 17, Mr Abiodun Asabi, the IGP said the police would work with other sister security agencies to avert breach of peace before, during and after the poll.
He said, “It is common knowledge that the success of any important process like the forthcoming governorship election in this state depends on peace, order and security.
“Therefore, a breach of the peace or security can surely scuttle the success expected in the exercise.
“Hence it is very pertinent for all stakeholders to discharge their various duties with security-conscious approaches.
“We should bear it in mind that performing our roles in a fair and orderly manner will certainly bring security threats to the barest minimum, with a far-reaching impact on the credibility of the election.
“The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible for providing security in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergise and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud, all security threats, provide water-tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state.
“The security of the voters, the electoral officials, the electoral materials and the general public will have to be effectively provided before, during and after the election”.
He added that this would be achieved through the concerted covert and overt operations by the synergised security agencies assigned for the election duties.
“To deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise”, he said.
