Polls: Resist Pressure, Security Chiefs Warn Personnel

Security chiefs and heads of paramilitary agencies in the country have warned their personnel against succumbing to pressure from politicians to compromise today’s governorship and state assembly elections, saying politicians and party agents would use body cameras to monitor vote buying and other breaches of the electoral process.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered authoritatively that while the Defence Headquarters had sent a warning signal to its men and officers not to put their integrity to test, the Inspector -general of Police (IGP) and commandant -general, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) also sent signals urging their men and officers to resist the temptation of aiding vote buying and abetting ballot stuffing and snatching.

A signal read; ‘Be careful! Be careful!! Be careful!!! This is to inform all our security personnel that all many political parties are planning to make use of button, pen and sunshade and cap cameras during the governorship and state assembly elections. I hereby plead with all security men to be aware of this so that we can be more tactical and smarter in discharging election duties. Don’t mess our integrity up, resist all manner of temptations. May the protection of God Almighty be with us all.’

The heads of security outfits unanimously admonished their personnel to operate within the confines of the law and stick to their standard operating procedure.

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The service chiefs particularly explained that the warning came on the heels of intelligence that the military and other security agencies were under pressure in the various states of the federation to compromise the elections through inducements. Their words, “Do not undermine the forthcoming polls. We must remain apolitical and limit our operations within the constitutional framework.”

They vowed to descend heavily on any officer found wanting and requested the electorate to stop worrying but trust them and engage where necessary for outright arrest.

While describing election as an integral part of every democracy, they added that the problem of “vote buying and selling” presents a fresh danger to the integrity and reliability of elections in Nigeria.

“We are all aware that elections in the country were marred over the years through ballot stuffing and snatching and various degrees of electoral frauds, but unfortunately, all that has to stop,” they said.