The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has described Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections as the most peaceful and best-organised elections he had witnessed in his career.
Baba, who addressed journalists after a tour of eight polling stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the level of preparedness from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and the responses from electorates were encouraging
However, contrary to the IGP’s assessment, there have been reports of electoral violence and voter intimidation in Lagos, Kogi, and Rivers States.
He said: “I can adjudge that this is the most peaceful and best-organized election I have witnessed in my career in the Police Force.
“I visited the INEC Chairman at the International Conference Center (ICC) which is going to serve as National Collation Center (NCC). I saw the level of preparedness there and I am satisfied with the type of responses, results, and information they are getting from the field.
“The performance of INEC officials, the performance of security officers, and the populace on how they are responding to the issue of exercising their power of votes are all being accessed there and information is being collected.
“We are also in a very critical period now which is the sorting and counting in most of the polling stations we have visited, and the responses of people are encouraging, people are guiding their votes, and the provision of security is also fantastic.
I can adjudge that this is the most peaceful and best-organized election I have witnessed in my career in the Police Force. I have been participating in elections and election security and I think we have done well so far. Generally, the performances of everybody is encouraging, particularly the turnout in the South East is very encouraging.
“Election is going on very fine everywhere. It is not true that we have a blast in Maiduguri, but we have a blast in Borno state, which is Gwoza. From Gwoza to Maiduguri is over 200 kilometers apart. In that blast, we expected this kind of situation and we made a proactive arrangement. Quite alright our adversaries have sent in whatever you called it but it has not distorted the election anywhere.”
