Armed Forces Prepared for 2023 Polls, Says IG

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, declared yesterday that the Nigeria Police, the military and other security forces were fully prepared to ensure a free, fair, credible and acceptable polls in 2023.

He assured that the elections would hold as scheduled.

According to him, contrary to speculations in some quarters that the forthcoming polls may not hold in some parts of the country due to security concerns, he said the elections would hold nationwide as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The IG, who spoke in Abuja, warned political actors to play by the rules of the game and to stop overheating the system, saying the era of ballot box snatching was gone for good in the country based on the various innovations introduced into the system by INEC.

The IG,  who spoke through the Force Public Relations Officer and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on the conference and retreat for senior police officers taking place in Owerri, Imo State, declared that the Nigeria Police and other security forces were fully prepared  to ensure “free, fair, credible and acceptable polls come 2023.”

He said that the Owerri retreat was being put in place to map out strategies for the smooth conduct of the polls and would be attended by the senior police officers from the ranks of commissioner of police, the presidential candidates of all the registered political parties and personnel from other security forces.

“We are assuring Nigerians and the international community that the 2023 general elections will hold as planned by the Independent National Electoral Commission in all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja. The country is enjoying relative peace now and we are going to sustain this, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari has promised times without numbers to give the nation a peaceful, free and fair elections, come 2023.

“The president has been keeping to his words by encouraging us and the security forces towards achieving this, we will have no excuse to fail the nation. Nigerians too have been helping the police and other security agencies with credible information in their localities,” he said.

“So there is no cause for concern about the general elections. We are working hard to make the polls a huge success likewise the INEC is doing the same thing. If you snatch ballot papers or boxes from one location to another location, you are only wasting your time because with the new arrangements being put in place by INEC, such electoral materials will not be valid in that location you are taking them to. You will be caught by security agents and be made to face the law.

“Arrangements are in top gear to secure the electorate, electoral officials and citizens, 2023 elections will be the best in the annals of our dear country, there is no security threat now and we don’t envisage any in future,” he assured.

The police boss explained that the third edition of the conference and retreat for senior police officers by Matchmakers Consult International in partnership with the Imo State Government was designed to give the nation credible polls.

“This edition, with the theme ‘The Imperative of a Nigeria Police Strategic Plan for Peaceful Elections’, is part of the IGP’s continuing effort to adequately prepare officers and men of the force to play a more effective and efficient role in the management of security during the general elections was designed on the assumption of office as the 21st Indigenous IGP to bequeath the nation with a policing system that is citizen-centred, technology-based, and whose officers protect with courage and serve with compassion.

“This has led to vital collaborations, riding on the federal government’s police reform agenda through the presidential police reform and transformation office with various governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).”