With barely a few days to the Edo State governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the South-South has said that they will ensure the victory of the party in the election.
The governors met yesterday in Benin City, Edo State.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, while addressing PDP stakeholders drawn from all the 18 local government areas of the state, in Benin City, assured voters that Pastor Ize-Iyamu who is the candidate of the party would emerge as the next Edo governor on Saturday and charged party faithfuls in Edo and leaders to be united, adding that “PDP is on ground in Edo, therefore, do not be intimidated.”
On his part, the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, lamented that the Edom people had lingered in pain for too long and it was time to give the state the leadership it deserved.
Deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Read Admiral John Jonah, declared that Saturday was the proper day to show the APC a final red card in the South-South geopolitical zone.
In the meantime, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of additional 25,000 personnel for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday to ensure safety before, during and after the election.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Don Awunah.
He said the personnel comprised of Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, Anti bomb Squad, Marine Police as well as conventional policemen.
Others are the Armament Units, personnel from Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Force Intelligence Bureau and the Sniffer Dog Section.
The Force Spokesman also said police aerial surveillance helicopters and gun boats, 10 additional armoured personnel carriers and 550 patrol vehicles would be deployed.
He said Idris was committed to ensuring that the election was conducted in accordance with the electoral law.
Awunah disclosed that a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, an Assistant-Inspector General of Police and three Commissioners of Police have been deployed to coordinate the security operations in the state.
Awunah said Idris would convene a peace meeting of all the political parties, candidates, INEC officials, election observers and other stakeholders before the election.
He added: “This meeting will focus on the overall desirability of peace during the election and adherence to the rules of the game.
“All police personnel and other complementing sister security agencies are under strict instructions to be professionally polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their statutory duties.”
Awunah said the meeting was part of additional measures aimed at guaranteeing a credible election.
He advised political parties, traditional rulers, community leaders as well as parents and guardians to prevail on their members, supporters, subjects, children and wards to be law abiding.
“The spirit and letters of the law will be fully applied on any person or group of persons found violating the Electoral Act,” he said.
He said Idris assured the electorate and all law abiding citizens of the state of adequate security throughout the election.
“He enjoins them to cooperate with the police in the discharge of their duties as the security personnel will operate within the framework of democratic policing,” he added.
