The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Osun State Police Command have expressed readiness to ensure a free, fair and peaceful governorship election in Osun state in September 22.
While the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje disclosed that the card readers that would be used for the election had been enhanced to perform optimally, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye stated that no fewer than 10, 000 policemen would be deployed for poll.
The two institutions gave the assurances and information in Osogbo during a stakeholders retreat tagged ‘‘Vote Not Fight.’’
The retreat was organised by two non-governmental organisations, Young Stars Development Initiative and Kimpact Development Initiative and supported by the National Democratic Institute, United States Agency for International Development and UKaid.
Agbaje, who was represented by INEC’s Head of Department of Voters Education and Publicity, Mr Stephen Akinojewande, urged the electorate to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He said more than 641,592 PVCs were yet to be collected.
While disclosing further that incidence form would not be used, Agbaje urged politicians to abide by the rules of the game.
For the CP, officers would be drawn from the Police Mobile Force, Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Explosives Ordnance Detection Unit.
Represented by Mr Mufutau Ayinde, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, Adeoye noted that the command had identified crisis-prone areas in the state, saying that adequate strategy had been put in place to ensure free and fair election.
According to the Police boss, “there is no cause for alarm for the election. We are going to ensure zero tolerance for violence before, during and after the election.
‘‘Politics is not warfare but rather it is a service to humanity and that is why everyone must abide by the rules.”
Also speaking at the retreat, the Executive Director, Kimpact Development Initiative, Mr Bukola Idowu said the programme was organised to sensitise the youths who according to are the largest number of registered voters on the need to exercise their civic responsibility without violence.
Idowu noted that the voting is about game and not violence, adding that election should not be taken as a do or die affairs.
“We are here today to sensitise our youths on the need to come out en masses and cast their vote without any violence . Election is not about violence is about change of government or put new people in position.
“Why do we need to fight, why do we need to burn houses or destroy properties, why do we need to disturb the whole peace of the state. That is why we came up with the new slogan ” Vote not Fight, Election No be War”,
“We are trying to educate and sensitise people that without violence we can change out government and we can put new people in position and that is why we are training each local government coordinators so as to bring the message to every nooks and crannies of the state that come September 22, 2018 we must come out en masses and cast our vote for the candidate of our choice.
Speaking similarly, Mr Ben Aga, the National Democratic Institute Project Manager, said the retreat was organised to sensitise political stakeholders on the need for free and fair election.
Aga also urged youths to shun thuggery before, during and after the election.
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