Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Dibal Yakadi, on Wednesday called on the government to enforce stiffer penalties against electoral offenders to control election-related violence in the country.
Nigeria Police Zone 5 Command comprises Bayelsa, Edo and Delta States.
Yakadi spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Police Force to create a peaceful environment for free, fair and credible governorship election slated for September 19 in Edo State.
Speaking in Benin City on the topic ‘2020 governorship election in Edo State, promoting peace, non-violence and best practices’, Yakadi said weak penalties for electoral offenders is one major causes of the rising electoral violence in the country.
He listed other factors responsible to include unemployment and poverty, loss of societal values, proliferation of firearms, easy access to consumption of illicit drugs, lack of internal democracy among political parties, desperation to win the election at all cost, among others.
“The increasing prevalence of violence in our society today calls for security concern. The stakeholders’ meeting is centred on the need to create peaceful atmosphere during and after the election,” Yakadi said.
“Police will provide free level playing ground for political parties during campaigns and the election. Government should liaise with security agencies so as to deploy enough personnel and logistics to beef up security in rural communities during the election,” he said.
Yakadi, who stressed that election is a serious business, added that the forthcoming governorship election is not a do-or-die affair.
He noted that failure to deliver a violence-free election can lead to “economic sabotage, drive away investors from Edo State, give birth to a chaotic situation as well as give the state a bad image before the eyes of the international community”.
While calling for collaborative efforts from critical stakeholders to ensure a credible poll, he enjoined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide logistics to riverine areas in the state and to make sure that electoral materials get to their respective polling units on time.
The stakeholders that attended the meeting include religious leaders, traditional rulers, party chairmen, civil societies, market leaders, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
