Paul Orude, Bauchi

The Nigeria Police has expressed its commitment to ensure a peaceful conduct of the bye-election for the vacant seat of Bauchi South Senatorial district, on Saturday, this week.

The commitment was given, on Wednesday, by the Commissioner of Police in charge of elections, Ahmed Illiyasu, at a meeting of stakeholders comprising of security agencies, political parties and the media, held at Officers’ Mess, Bauchi.

The meeting was chaired by the Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Bauchi State, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and had in attendance heads of other security agencies in the state, including the military, DSS, NSCDC, NDLEA, among others.

Iliyasu promised that the police would work with other security agencies to ensure that effective security was provided for all stakeholders during the election.

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Said he, “Our commitment is to have a peaceful bye-election. We are willing to safeguard the lives and property of the citizens and work to ensure that there is a synergy between the police and all sisters’ agencies for a peaceful bye-election.

“We therefore appeal for the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure that Bauchi is set as a yardstick for peaceful conduct of elections.”

He appealed to all stakeholders to ensure that rules regarding the Electoral Acts were properly followed to aid the security agencies to conduct a peaceful election.

Iliyasu said all stockholders must therefore work together with the security agencies to ensure a free and fair elections.

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Earlier, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Lemu, said the meeting was a follow up of two previous ones held at INEC office in Bauchi.

Lemu stated that the meeting convened by the police was to galvanise the support of all stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free election.

He said it was also to deliberate and assure stakeholders of a level playing ground for all political parties by the police before, during and after the bye-election.

In his remark, the INEC Commissioner charged all political parties to conduct their activities within the confines of the law, especially the Electoral Act.

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Abdullahi appealed to leaders of political parties in the state to control their supporters to ensure that the provision of Act were observed.

He appealed to leaders of political parties to ensure that their representatives report on time for the election.

He also called on the police and security agencies to provide adequate protection for movement of staff and materials by INEC officials for the bey-election.

The INEC Commissioner said: “Most of the delays in starting elections on time is caused by the coming late of representatives of political parties.

“The polling officials cannot leave for the exercise without police escort so it is important for us to achieve success if political parties’ representatives and security agents must be present on time and provide escort.”