Police Identify Flashpoints in Rivers Rerun Polls

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Police Identify Flashpoints in Rivers Rerun Polls

By Correspondent

Ahead of Saturday’s rerun national and state legislative elections scheduled to hold in Rivers State on Saturday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, yesterday disclosed that the police had identified all the flash points that could mar the peaceful conduct of the polls. He asserted, however, that all the affected areas “are now under the watchful eyes of the police and other security agencies.” Meanwhile, the Rivers State government has declared today and tomorrow as work-free days to aid the smooth conduct of the polls. The state governor, Nyesom Wike, in a state-wide radio and television said the development “will enable workers in the public and private sectors to fully participate in the elections and exercise their franchise. Consequently, all public and private offices, including banks must remain closed for the duration of the holidays.” Arase who spoke during a press conference with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu yesterday in Abuja said: “The Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Police has conducted a comprehensive security threat analysis of Rivers State. The areas likely to present major security threats as well as individuals who are poised to make themselves available as political thugs to threaten the peaceful conduct of the electoral process have been identified. We have identified the people we think we should isolate and keep our eyes on them and they are being monitored and if they dare go beyond their boundaries, they will regret it. Anybody trying to touch electoral personnel and materials before, during and after the polls, we will tackle them,” he said. The IGP said also “there shall be restriction of non-essential vehicular movements around the state during the elections from6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. while political actors and other personalities are not allowed to go to the polling booths in company of their security detail.’’ Earlier, INEC Chairman, Yakubu said: “To ensure the successful conduct of the re-run elections, INEC has engaged 24,930 ad-hoc staff drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and students of federal tertiary institutions, specifically the University of Port Harcourt, the Federal College of Education (Technical) at Omoku and the Federal University in Otuoke in Bayelsa State.” The youth corps members will serve as presiding officers while others will serve as assistant presiding officers I, II and III. In addition, we have engaged a total 379 collation officers and 37 returning officers from the three tertiary institutions mentioned earlier on the recommendations of their vice chancellors and provost who vouched for their integrity. 

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