Ben Dunno, Warri
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, has reaffirmed the commitment of his men and officers to the task of creating a secure environment for the successful conduct of free, fair, and credible polls across the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) come February 25, 2023.
Ari who admitted that this year’s election in the state would be a very tough contest considering the interest and calibre of actors involved, urged Deltans to be rest assured that the Command would not compromise anything for its primary responsibility of ensuring safety of lives and property both during and after the elections.
The police Boss made the commitment in a speech delivered at a one-day Workshop organized by the Command for Election Security Monitoring Committee, comprising of political parties representatives, civil society groups, selected media practitioners and the members of the public in Warri at the weekend.
He disclosed that part of the measures he had adopted was the continuous lectures and sensitization of his men and officers to maintain their neutrality status in the ongoing political dispensation, inorder to be able to carry out their statutory duties without being bias.
While stating that only Deltans are in a position to determine who leads them by coming out in their large numbers to vote their preferred candidates across party lines, CP Ali appealed to the residents to exercise this civic duties orderly on election days, irrespective of political parties affiliations and ideologies.
He noted that by so doing they would have made the job of conducting a successful polls easier both for the security agencies and the electoral umpire, adding that the level of success aimed at achieving on election days would be determined on how the electorates conducts themselves those days.
According to him: “The Command is fully committed to the conduct of a successful elections in the state this month and that is one of the reasons why I have always organized conferences for my men to make them understand that for them to be able to create an enabling environment during elections, they must first be Apolitical. That way, they can be neutral and unbiased in discharging their duties”.
“I’m equally aware that this very election is going to be a very tough one considering the interest and calibre of people involved, especially the leading contenders and that is why I am appealing to the party flag bearer to call their supporters to order and let them be be orderly during and after the elections”.
“It is also very clear that at the end of the day, it’s the people that would make their choice and that’s why we are calling on them to come out in their large numbers and be orderly on election days in electing their leaders.
“Like we all know, its the conduct of the electorates, especially before, during and after elections that often determines the level of success recorded in an election and that’s why am appealing to them to be orderly”, he stated.
Continuing; “Our own is to ensure we provide the needed secured environment for the conduct of a hitch free exercise where the safety of the electoral officers, the materials and the electorates are guaranteed, so that we can have a free, fair and credible polls in various designated units across the state at the scheduled time”
“Let me therefore use this opportunity to appeal to Deltans, regardless political party affiliation to see this election as an opportunity to express themselves through the ballot by coming out in large numbers to elect their leader and when they do, they should be orderly has the success of this forthcoming election depends on their conduct”, CP Ali concluded.