Anambra Police and INEC declare readiness for August senatorial bye-election and November governorship poll.
Officials assure residents of security, transparency, and smooth voter registration and logistics.
The Anambra State Police Command and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have affirmed their preparedness for the upcoming senatorial bye-election scheduled for August 16, as well as the November 8 governorship election in the state.
Speaking in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Awka, the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elizabeth Agwu, expressed confidence in the readiness of their respective institutions to ensure smooth and secure electoral processes.
CP Orutugu noted that the police command had been holding regular meetings with other security agencies and INEC officials to review the security landscape and coordinate election strategies.
“As Chairman of the Anambra State Security Committee, I can confirm that all security agencies meet routinely to evaluate the security situation and plan adequately,” he said.
He disclosed that recent strategic meetings with INEC had focused on refining logistics and safety protocols to ensure credible elections. He also praised Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for providing continued support to the state command.
Orutugu appealed for additional resources to further enhance the effectiveness of security personnel before, during, and after the elections.
Meanwhile, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elizabeth Agwu, said the commission had concluded arrangements for both the bye-election and the gubernatorial poll. She clarified that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise starting July 17 was solely for the governorship election and not for the senatorial bye-election.
She emphasized that fresh voter registrations must be done in person at designated INEC offices, while data updates and corrections can be processed online.
“No one will be registered in absentia. Also, we will not entertain any registration outside the approved hours of 9:00am to 3:00pm,” Agwu said.
She encouraged eligible residents to seize the opportunity to register or update their details, reminding them that voters for the bye-election will use their existing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Agwu further revealed that training for ad hoc personnel had been completed and that over 300 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices had been configured for use in the November election.
She confirmed INEC’s partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to deploy corps members as part of the electoral workforce.
“INEC is not collecting money from anyone to register. Please don’t pay anyone or attempt to register on someone else’s behalf,” she warned.
To enhance logistics, Agwu said the commission had signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with transport unions for the provision of vehicles and other support services on election days, assuring that all service providers would be duly compensated.
“We’ve also held sensitization programs in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act to prepare stakeholders in the state,” she added.
Agwu gave further assurance that INEC was working closely with security agencies to prevent any threats to the electoral process and guaranteed that enough security personnel would be deployed from across the country to maintain peace and order.
“I’ve personally inspected our BVAS machines and can confirm they are in good working condition,” she said. “We want this election to surpass previous ones in credibility and transparency.”
She urged Anambra residents to come out and vote without fear, assuring them of a peaceful and well-organized election.
