The Independent National Electoral Commission is set to begin the employment of more than 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems and other sensitive materials on Thursday (today) for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.
Sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, arrived in Edo State on Wednesday via Benin Airport and were transported to secure storage facilities under tight security.
This comes as the 17 political parties participating in the poll are slated to end their campaign today.
The All Progressives Congress candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party are the leading contenders ahead of the ballot.
INEC officials and security personnel supervised the transportation of the election materials to ensure accountability.
5,000 BIVAS
Multiple senior INEC officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that more than 5,000 BVAS devices would be deployed for the election.
“More than 5,000 BVAS devices will be deployed for the Edo State governorship election. BVAS is a sensitive election material. It will be deployed tomorrow (today) with other sensitive materials,” one of the officials disclosed.
INEC is preparing to ensure a smooth and efficient electoral process across the state’s 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centres, which include 192 ward centres, 18 local government collation centres, and the state collation centre in Benin City.
As part of its preparation for the polls, INEC has increased its financial support to transport unions for the election logistics.
Additionally, the commission has been engaging with various stakeholders ranging from political parties and civil society groups to community leaders—to ensure that the electoral process is transparent and inclusive.
It was further learnt that the commission would deploy more than 18,000 ad-hoc staff for the poll.
Based on INEC’s staffing structure, each of the 4,519 polling units in Edo State will require a team of four officers, comprising a Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers (APO I, II, and III), totaling 18,076 ad-hoc staff.
In addition to the POs and APOs, INEC will also dispatch Supervisory Presiding Officers to manage operations at various polling units across the state.
In a move to ensure a hitch-free exercise, the Nigeria Police Force has announced that it is expecting over 8,000 security personnel from other agencies to join the 35,000 officers already deployed for the Edo State governorship election.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said drones, helicopters and other equipment had been deployed in the state to forestall any untoward incidents during the poll.
Adejobi added that DIG Frank Mba would lead the police team, noting that Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police would be posted to senatorial districts and local governments.
He said, “We are deploying 35,000 police officers to Edo, and we expect 8,000 plus to join us from other security agencies who are members of the Committee on Election Security. The IGP has deployed two Deputy Inspectors-General Police, DIG Frank Mba, to be the head of the team, then DIG Daniel Pedro, who is from the South-South, to be part of it. AIGs, Commissioners of Police are to be posted to senatorial districts and local governments.
“We have enough officers to monitor deployment and supervise the conduct of our men and other security agents there. So, we have enough deployment; our chopper will go, drones have been deployed, and many other critical assets have been moved down to Edo to make sure we have a free, fair, credible and even acceptable election in Edo State
“So, we are ready to support the INEC to make sure we have good conduct and a very perfect electoral process in Edo.”
Reacting to allegations that members of the PDP were indiscriminately arrested, Adejobi said those arrested so far in the state were involved with the murder of a police officer.
He said, “We have not arrested any member of any party. Those that we have arrested so far in Edo are those that were suspected and they have been fingered in the killing of a policeman within the airport vicinity in Benin City.
“So, if they belong to a party, we don’t know; if they are businessmen, we don’t know; if they are professors, we don’t know. So, we are only dealing with those who have been fingered in the killing of the policeman in the state. And for those who have killed policemen or a policeman across the country, they have murdered peace and they will never enjoy peace.
“We cannot allow our policemen to be killed, to be attacked and be killed and you expect us to fold our arms? So, people are accusing the IGP of arresting people in Edo indiscriminately. No. We have our targets, we went for our targets, and we will still go for more.
“Those are people arrested in connection with the killing of the policeman. Don’t forget, we have charged some people to court. The case is in court and we are still going to do more. We are widening the scope of the investigation.
“Enough is enough. Any slightest thing, you attack the police and you kill the policemen as if we don’t have laws in Nigeria.
“So, anybody can say whatever they want to say, but for us in the police, we don’t know anybody’s identity other than those that we have arrested for the killing of a policeman in the state.
“According to the provisions of the law, there is what we call parties to offences, a criminal law. If you have committed an offence, if you are propelled to commit an offence, you are party to that offence, and you go for it.
“So, those that are picked, they have done one thing or the other that led to the crisis and that led to the shooting of the policemen. Not only that, arms have been recovered from them, prohibited firearms. More than six have been recovered from them.
“So, we are not picking individuals to jeopardize the electoral process. We are not picking anybody on a party basis. We only went after those who killed our policemen and injured others.”
Ahead of the election, the Nigerian Air Force has begun airlifting election materials to the state.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain, Kabiru Ali said the airlifting was to ensure timely and secure delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections.
Ali said, “The Nigerian Air Force has commenced the airlift of election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for 21 September 2024.
“This move is part of a broader effort to ensure timely and secure delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections. The airlift operation demonstrates the collaboration between NAF and INEC, aimed at facilitating logistics and ensuring a peaceful election process in Edo State.”
PDP accuses INEC
With just 48 hours before election, the PDP urged the electoral commission and the police not to allow the All Progressives Congress pitch them against the people.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the statement during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, urging INEC and the police to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election in Edo State.
“The PDP has information that some unscrupulous INEC officials have concluded plans to give result sheets to APC. We call on INEC to ensure the endorsement of all result sheets by the REC and National Commissioner for the zone assigned for the election for authentication at the time of the distribution of election materials to the various Local Governments, Wards and Units,” he said.
Ologunagba asserted that the momentum for Saturday’s election suggests the PDP was poised for a decisive victory.
He stated, “The tide of this election, to the effect that the PDP is coasting to a sweeping victory, is clear for all to see and the people of Edo State are not ready to accept any result that does not reflect their Will as expressed at the ballot.
“The PDP therefore charges INEC and the police not to allow the APC to pitch them against the people. They must ensure a free, fair and credible election in Edo State.
The PDP, Ologunagba pointed out, had also been alerted that “the APC has allegedly given fake police and military uniforms and dangerous weapons to their thugs to unleash violence on the people of Edo State on Election Day.”
“These harassments, arrests and torture of PDP members and supporters are going on with the knowledge of the Edo State Commissioner of Police and the entreaties by the PDP to IGP to put such to an end have not received the desired attention,” he noted.
Ologunagba warned that the PDP candidate and the people of Edo State would not stand by and let the APC intimidate them or manipulate the results of the governorship election on Saturday.
He added, “The PDP and the people of Edo State are for peace but if the APC wants trouble, the PDP and the people of Edo State will use every legitimate weapon and means available in a democratic resistance to fight back, head-to-head and with overwhelming force to protect and ensure that nobody subverts the Will of the people at the poll.
“The PDP, in very clear terms, cautions that from henceforth any APC thug, fake or compromised security operatives that attempt to abduct any innocent citizen of Edo State, attempt to snatch ballot box or cause any crisis on election day will know that ‘Edo no bi Kogi.’
“The PDP, therefore, directs all our members and supporters across Edo State to get ready for election. They should equip themselves with all necessary self-defense mechanism to defend their Will and our democracy.”
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has voiced concerns regarding the election.
HURIWA and 13 affiliated organisations at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, berated INEC for retaining the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, citing his close ties to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, which they said could compromise the commission’s neutrality.
