INEC, Police assure of credible, smooth election in Bayelsa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Tuesday said arrangements were in place to ensure a smooth and credible governorship election in Bayelsa on Saturday.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, spoke with newsmen in Yenagoa.
Addressing newsmen at the Bayelsa Police Command Headquarters, Yakubu said that he was in the state with the IGP to assure the stakeholders of the resolve of INEC to deliver credible elections.
He said that there would be no interference or manipulation, as the fate of the candidates would be decided by the voters.
“We were here recently as all the candidates signed a peace pact and we are happy that they are abiding by the terms of the pact.
“We are here to assure everyone that no one but Bayelsa people will determine who their governor will be through the ballot, they should come out and cast their votes freely.
“The election will be free and fair; the election has two aspects and the first is the one INEC will undertake, while the second is the Police aspect, and I am here with the Chief Internal Security Officer of the country, the Inspector General of Police.
“We are here to assure Bayelsa people that we have created the enabling environment for credible elections,” Yakubu said.
He said that all the outstanding 52,000 Permanent Voter Cards from the Continuous Voters Registration conducted in September had been delivered to the Resident Electoral Commissioner.
The INEC chairman said that the electoral body would partner the stakeholders to ensure that the cards were distributed before December 5.
Also speaking, Arase disclosed that the Police was adequately prepared and ready to deploy some 14,000 officers and men and 15 units of the Police Mobile Force men for election duties.
The IGP said that the Police would replicate the success it recorded in Kogi elections two weeks ago.
“We are going to dominate the security space; we are going to have aerial surveillance; a DIG is coming to supervise the elections with additional three Commissioners, we are going to lock down the waterways,” Arase said.
Addressing men and officers of the Command, Arase warned them to desist from unprofessional conduct that could drag the name of the force through the mud.