Police bar Hisbah, KAROTA, vigilantes from by-elections in Kano

INEC expects heavy security for Anambra The police in Kano State have warned the Hisbah, Kano Road and Transport Authority (KAROTA) as well as local vigilantes to stay off the six local government areas where the February 3 by-elections will be held in the state. The police commissioner, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, said only federal security […]

• INEC expects heavy security for Anambra

The police in Kano State have warned the Hisbah, Kano Road and Transport Authority (KAROTA) as well as local vigilantes to stay off the six local government areas where the February 3 by-elections will be held in the state.

The police commissioner, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, said only federal security agencies will provide security during the by-election.

The by-election will be held in six local government areas covering three state constituencies: Kura/Garum Malam, Kunchi/Tsanyawa and Rimin Gado/Tofa.

Gumel said police are responsible for the detailed operation order for security agencies and paramilitary organisations during the election, asking state-owned security agencies like Hisbah, KAROTA and vigilante organisations to stay away from the election.

He said, “EFCC and ICPC operatives will be involved in the operation to check against vote buying and other electoral malpractices.”

The commissioner said this after a security meeting with the resident electoral commissioner and security chiefs in the state.

On his part, the state resident electoral commissioner, Abdu Zango, said strategies for a free, fair and credible by-election in a secure environment have been adopted.

He appealed to eligible voters in the affected local government areas to come out and exercise their civic rights on election day.

In a related development, the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elizabeth Agwu, has disclosed that the by-elections in Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo federal Constituency as well as that of Orumba North and South federal Constituency in the state will witness heavy security presence.

She said the commission is working with security operatives to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the affected areas.

She also stated that security operatives have taken over formations at the border towns of the two federal constituencies in Imo and Abia, and local government areas close to those wards and polling units for the election.

“Anybody that is not an electorate in the affected polling units has no business coming or going there because combined teams of policemen, soldiers and other sister security organizations are already on the ground to take care of any security challenges that may arise though we don’t pray for it,” she said.

Recall that Uche Elodimuo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was earlier declared the winner of the election for Nnewi federal constituency while Chinwe Nnabuife of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) was declared winner for Orumba federal constituency but their victories were set aside with the Appeal Court ordering re-run elections in some of the polling units in the constituencies.