On Friday, the Ogun State Police Command assured the public that they have engaged with all political actors to ensure peaceful elections without violence or killings in the state. The police spokesman noted that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. Additionally, all political actors had signed undertakings with the police in the presence of religious bodies and other stakeholders in the state to commit to peaceful conduct.
This statement comes after several incidents of election-related violence in the state during the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state House of Assembly elections in 2019. In 2019, a police corporal was killed during an attack on Independent National Electoral Commission officials, and a mother of six lost her life during an exchange of gunfire between suspected political thugs and security agents.
The police spokesman assured the public that there will be no repeat of such incidents as the police have put in place all necessary machinery to ensure free, fair, and credible conduct during the elections. The command has collaborated with other sister agencies to provide adequate security and personnel to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. The police have learned from past events and have taken necessary steps to ensure the safety of security agents, INEC officials, and the electorate.
The police spokesman further explained that security agencies are now better prepared and equipped to handle any incidents that may occur. He also noted that the result of the election is on the server before the polling agents leave the polling units, making it futile for anyone to try to hijack the electoral result. The police are confident that with the measures in place, the elections will be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
