By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), has tasked security agencies in Nigeria to carry out covert operations on election day to arrest vote Buyers and Sellers during the November 11 off-season Governorship election in Kogi State.
The Executive Director of CTA, Ms Faith Ossai Nwadishi, stated this in Lokoja on Tuesday, during a stakeholders engagement on preparations for kogi governorship election in November.
Nwadishi, while calling on the election stakeholders and citizens to shun Vote Buying and forms of Voter inducement in Kogi State, says the negative use of money to influence voters choice in election, usurps the will of the people as a form of rigging election through monetary inducement.
Nwadishi, urged the citizens to work harder towards election security in the state amid fears of election violence.
According to the Executive Director of CTA, Mrs Faith Ossai Nwadishi, the Police and partner agencies should increase the synergy with other stakeholders through continuous engagement with the grassroots to ensure maximum protection of citizens on election day.
“Security is a critical aspect of electoral process that requires attention during the entire electoral process and the election management Body (INEC) has recently raised an alarm and fears, indicating that insecurity may pose a great challenge to the governorship election.
“Citizens too have had cause to worry over the issue of insecurity in the state, and if this is unchecked, may discourage citizens from coming out to exercise their franchise on election day,” Nwadishi, said.
Nwadishi says CTA will be glad with the process if the security agencies share important information with other stakeholders especially on the flash points by ensuring that their are properly trained in accordance with the election security personnel (ESP) training manual; the electoral security personnel (ESP) training facilitators Guide; the electoral security (ESP) Handbook and the Basic Security in Election Duty (BaSED) Handbook to ensure professional conduct of security personnel on election duty.
On voters inducement and influence of money in elections, the civil society activist, says the symbolic presence of law enforcement agents at polling units during previous elections, has not deterred ‘Vote Buying.’
“It’s important that a more result-oriented method like covert operations be adopted to curb the negative use of money to influence votes, including the criminal purchases of PVCs by Politicians.
“We advise that citizens shun vote buying and selling, which undermines the election and as such, candidates should campaign based on issues and avoid heating up the polity and creating fears in the hearts of people who want to vote. Also, security agencies should assure the masses of adequate protection within the election periods.”
Election Logistics
The CTA says one of the great challenges faced by INEC on election days is the movement of personnel and materials, adding that, “The delays in the transportation of election materials and personnel has severely hampered operations, leading to delay in commencement of elections, and for this reason that the election commission signed the first MoU with the national union of road transport workers in January, 2015 to ease movement of election materials and personnel on election day.
“We appeal to the road transport workers union in Nigeria to keep an eye on their members to ensure materials and personnel are delivered to designated locations right on time without delays,” CTA implored the executives of the NURTW who handle transportation of election materials and personnel during elections in Nigeria.
A member of CTA advisory board, Prince Babatunde Oluajo, emphasized on the importance of continuous engagement with the grassroots to increase awareness on election transparency, greater political participation, peace building and security. He urged security agencies to be proactive in dealing with the security challenges ahead of the election.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) says it will deploy a total of 12,000 Civil Defense Operatives to man the polling stations in Kogi State, while the Nigeria Immigration Service, says irregular Migrants resident in the state will be prevented from participating in the elections as the irregular migrants are being raided at Ankpa, Dekina, Obajana, Kabba and Ijumu Communities with large number of Foreigners resident in the state.
According to CTA, INEC record shows that the number of registered voters in Kogi state stands at 1,932,654 and a significant number of these voters have collected their PVCs totaling 1,813,741 voters expected to cast their votes across the 239 electoral Wards, and 3,508 polling units in the state.