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■ To deploy 6 helicopters, 425,106 security personnel, marine police
■ INEC confirms postponement of Enugu East senatorial election
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, has confirmed that no fewer than 425,106 security personnel would be deployed for today’s presidential and National Assembly election across the country.
He made the confirmation at a world press conference held in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the National Collation Centre in Abuja on Friday.
He said that six helicopters, marine police will also be on duty during the election, warning the thugs to avoid polling units if they don’t want to incur the wrath of the deployed security agents.
Though he admitted battling threats and challenges from separatist and criminal elements like IPOB, bandits and insurgents, he said the police are however ready to arrest the situation with the threat analysis from the Department of State Service (DSS).
On his part, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, reassured that the poll will go ahead as planned revealing that Registration Areas have been activated. He also announced that the Enugu East Senatorial election has been postponed and will be held with governorship election on March.
“A total number of 425,106 security personnel will be deployed from different agencies. According agency by agency, I have said that the police have 310 973, Civil Defense 100,000, Nigerian Correctional Service 11,336 National Drug Law Enforcement Agency 9447, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 359, Immigration Service, totaling 425,106 security personnel.
On the Enugu East Senatorial election, he said it was being postponed following the death of the Labour Party’s candidate, Oyibo Chukwu.
“The Labour Party has provided satisfactory evidence of the death of its candidate. Consequently, the commission has suspended the election in the Senatorial district as provided by law,” said Yakubu.
“We have already communicated this decision to our Enugu State office. Therefore, there will be no senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District made up of six local government areas, 77 wards and 1,630 polling units tomorrow, February 25, 2023
“The election will now be combined with the governorship and state assemblies’ elections holding in the next two weeks, on 11th of March 2023.”
He said materials for the election in Enugu East will remain in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till the new date.
