…Excludes Journalists From Distribution Of Sensitive Electoral Materials
By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
As part of its final preparations for the upcoming by-elections in Garki|Babura Federal Constituency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Jigawa has met with heads of security agencies in the state to ensure a peaceful and successful exercise.
Similar meeting had been held with the representatives of various political parties taking part in the polls where the commission read riot acts to them on the need to be of good conduct before, during and after the election in order to guarantee a free, fair and credible election on Saturday.
The meeting, held 48-hours to the election at the INEC conference room in Dutse, was aimed at discussing security arrangements for the by-elections, scheduled for Saturday.
Speaking while presiding over the meeting, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Prof. Muhammad Bashir Lawan emphasized the importance of collaboration between INEC and security agencies in ensuring the success of the elections.
According to the REC, the meeting was a crucial step in the preparations for the by-elections, which will determine the representation of the people of Garki|Babura Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
He assured that INEC is committed to conducting a free, fair, and credible election.
However, the REC who confirmed that all preparation is completed ahead of the election’s day therefore appealed to the security agencies to provide adequate security coverage during the elections to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The REC also urged them to work closely with INEC officials to ensure a smooth and successful process.
The meeting was attended by the heads of various security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Services, (DSS) Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) among others.
The heads of agencies pledged their commitment to providing adequate security during the elections.
Bala Bawa Bodinga, the State Commandant of the NSCDC , commended INEC for the initiative, assuring that his agency will provide adequate security personnel to support the elections.
On his part also, the Commissioner of Police in Jigawa State Dahiru Muhammad assured that the police would deploy adequate personnel to ensure the safety of lives and properties during the elections.
“The security agencies have also assured that they will provide adequate security coverage during the elections to prevent any breakdown of law and order. The stage is set for a keenly contested election that will determine the future of the constituency,” he stated.
The police chief hinted on the possibility of temporary shut of the Nigerian borders with the Republic of Niger so as to curtail incident of cross-border influx of nom-Nigerians.Babura, one of the local government affected shares a common border with Niger Republic.
The measure, according to him is aimed at preventing potential security threats and ensuring that the by-election scheduled for Saturday is conducted without any external interference.
The temporary border closure decision was made known during a meeting between Independent National Electoral Commission officials and heads of security agencies held on Wednesday in Dutse, the state capital.
As part of the security measures, he revealed that the border with Niger Republic will be temporarily closed from 12 am on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday, the election day.
“This is aimed at preventing any external interference or influence on the election. The temporary border closure is expected to impact on cross-border activities, and it is necessary for us to ensure the integrity of the election,” he highlighted.
During the election, Muhammad stated that a three-layer security cover will be provided, comprising outer, middle, and inner layers across polling units in the constituency.
“This is aimed at ensuring the safety of voters, election officials, and other stakeholders,” he noted.
Moreso, the CP revealed that the main security situation room will be stationed in Babura town, serving as the nerve center for security operations during the election.
The Saturday’s election is a straight contest between the All Progressives Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP).
The ruling APC is fielding Rabi’u Mukhtar Garki as its candidate, the PDP fields Auwalu Isa Manzo as its flag bearer while the NNPP is fielding Adamu Sabo for the election.
Meanwhile, journalists were shut out of the distribution of electoral materials which commenced on Thursday. The exercise, which took place at the Dutse Office of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) only representatives of political parties without the media involved.
Besides the secrecy of the exercise where reporters were not invited, those who got wind of the exercise and went there were prevented from gaining entrance allegedly on the orders of the Branch Manager of the Bank.
News5 days ago
Business News1 week ago
News1 week ago