Picture: Soldiers to escort NYSC members to polling units

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Elections 2011, NNP Elections 2011 Updates, NYSC (National Youth Service Corp) Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Soldiers readying for the governorship election in Abuja... on Monday.

There were indications on Monday that soldiers would join policemen in escorting election materials and National Youth Corps members to the 120,000 polling units across the country for today’s governorship and state assembly elections.

A top source in the Independent National Electoral Commission said many state governors had approached the Army high command to assist in protecting election materials and beefing up security around the corps members as well as other officials of the commission.

The source, who declined to have his name in print because he was not mandated to do so, said, “ I confirm to you that all staff of INEC that will be involved in tomorrow(today) elections will have soldiers and policemen escorting them to their designated places of work.”

He explained that the measure was specially aimed at ensuring that the corps members, who are ad-hoc staff of INEC, were adequately protected during the polls.

President Goodluck Jonathan had during a nationwide broadcast on Thursday directed state governors to take personal responsibility for the safety of the corps members.

Many of the NYSC members who serve as the presiding officers in the general elections had threatened to boycott the exercise following the attacks on them by irate youths in some states in the North.

A number of them have also been confirmed killed by the youths who were protesting the results of the April 16 presidential poll won by Jonathan.

The Benue State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Nasir Ayilara; the INEC spokesman in Ogun State, Mrs. Adenike Kadese; and Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, confirmed on Monday that soldiers would accompany corps members to voting centres.

Ayilara, who also said that soldiers had been deployed in local government areas in the state, added that everyone that would be involved in exercise would be well protected.

He said, “I received a call yesterday that we should allow soldiers to escort our materials and electoral officers to the various local governments. This is in anticipation of violence but I don’t think there will be any problem.

“Youth corp members will be well protected. The security agencies have said that, not only the NYSC people alone; all our officials, both ad hoc and permanent will be protected. They have given us their word and all our property will be well protected as well.

“The security agencies are ready and alive to their responsibilities. Soldiers have been deployed to all the local government areas in the state.”

Ayilara also denied the claim by the ACN that he held a series of meetings with the state Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, on the election.

Investigations revealed that the soldiers deployed in the councils in Benue State were drawn largely from the 341 Artillery Regiment in Ogoja Cross Rivers State and the Nigeria Army School of Engineering in Makurdi.

In Plateau State, Jang also said in a statement by the Director of Press Affairs in his office, Mr. James Mannock, that, “the measure was part of government’s desire to ensure their safety.”

Also, Kadese, who said that all was set for the elections in Ogun State, added, “I know that soldiers will accompany our ad-hoc staff to their places of assignment tomorrow (today).”

In Ekiti State, the police began a show of force on Monday in readiness for today’s elections.

A convoy of police patrol vans were seen parading various streets in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital while soldiers deployed in the state were also seen at various strategic locations in the state.

The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mohhamed Jimoh, assured that security agencies would ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order before, during and after the poll.

Jimoh said that no fewer than 7,500 security agents from the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Immigration Service had been deployed to maintain peace in the state during the polls.

The state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, assured voters of adequate security.

He urged them to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner, warning that anyone who contravened the law would be dealt with by security agents.

About 23,000 policemen and other security agents have been mobilised for the elections in the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

A deputy Inspector- General of Police, Mrs. Ivy Okoronkwo, who is overseeing the election in the zone, made this known to journalists in Umuahia.

Okoronkwo said, “Well over 23,000 officers have been mobilised from the five police commands and sister security agencies within the South East zone and beyond for the purpose of policing the elections.

“The officers have been adequately trained, briefed, equipped and strategically deployed.”

Meanwhile, stakeholders for the election in Abia have accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Austin Okojie, of being partisan.

The stakeholders, including some governorship candidates, party chairmen accused Okogie of working for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the April 9 and 16 elections.

They alleged at a meeting with the REC, Police Commissioner, Brigade Commander of 14 Brigade, and other security chief that Okogie was planning to do the same thing today.

The REC, who denied the allegations, had an exchange of words with the All Progressive Grand Alliance governorship candidate, Chief Reagan Ufomba, and the Progressive Peoples Alliance Chairman in the state, Chief Emeka Onuoha.

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