By Peter Okolie
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on Friday, met with various security agencies in Imo to strategise on security for the November 11 governorship election.
Addressing members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Owerri, Yakubu said the meeting will assess the readiness of security and INEC for the conduct of the election.
“We know what we have done at the national level, but we want to be assured and be reassured that we are on course for what we believe is going to be a peaceful and transparent election,” he said.
He said Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states were not the easiest states to conduct elections.
Yakubu said the states were faced with prevailing security situations, peculiar topography and continuing behavior of some of the political actors which impedes the conduct of free and fair elections.
He said the meeting was aimed at meeting with the security agencies and members of ICCES to discuss challenges and issues around the poll.
Yakubu however, emphasised that INEC was not a political party and did not have a candidate of interest in the election.
“The responsibility of who becomes the next governor in Imo is entirely in the hand of voters in the state.
“Our commitment is to protect the integrity of the process so that whoever the people of Imo state vote for becomes their governor,” the INEC boss stated.
Earlier, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 9, Umuahia, AIG Echeng Echeng, said security agencies were fully prepared for the conduct of the election in the state.
Echeng, who noted that there were places in the state with security threats, however, expressed confidence that the challenge would be surmounted through synergy and inter-agency collaboration.
“We want to assure you that election will be held in those places because we have done so much to ensure that elections hold.
“Our mission in this state is to provide an enabling environment and level playing for all political parties and we are bent on doing that so that the people can exercise their franchise on that day and we are ready,” he stated.
In a welcome remark, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sylvia Agu, said Mahmood’s visit was a reflection of his commitment to the goals and objectives of the commission.
Agu said Yakubu’s visit was a commitment of INEC to organising a free, fair, credible, inclusive and safe election as a constitutional responsibility and obligation of the commission.
She commended the relentless efforts of members of ICCES in contributing to the furtherance of democracy through the strategic electoral security they provide.
The REC said the meeting was conveyed to harmonise and concretise all security related concerns in protecting election officials, materials and electorate on November 11.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders thereafter, went into a closed-door session.
