Enugu: Police, INEC Pledge Level Playing Field For Political Parties

By Adadainfo

The commissioner of police, Enugu State Command, CP Ahmed Ammani, Monday, tasked political parties in the state to conduct their electioneering activities in the most peaceful manner and ensure the timely provision of their campaign timetables to the command to aid necessary security actions.

He stated this during an interactive meeting with leaders of political parties, the Independence Electoral Commission (INEC) and heads of other security agencies in Enugu.

His management team, area commanders, divisional police officers and heads of units/sections of the command attended the meeting.

The commissioner charged the stakeholders to eschew acts capable of breaching the peace in the state while being guided by extant laws and rules governing their activities.

He reiterated the position of the police to emplace necessary security during the period and solicited their support, especially in the area of timely provision of information on their activities and to promptly volunteer security information/intelligence to the police.

The party leaders reassured commitment to conduct their campaigns and other activities leading to the 2023 general elections in a peaceful manner and in accordance with established laws and rules of engagement.

The state’s INEC head of legal and the chief security officer, Barr Humphrey Okolie and Chima Ani, who represented the state’s resident electoral commissioner, said INEC would provide a level playing field for the parties.

Heads of other security agencies, which included those of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), reassured commitment to ensure a robust interagency collaboration towards the provision of adequate security and safety during electioneering and elections periods in the state.

The state police public relations officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said political parties were charged ‘to ensure internal democracy in their affairs, work closely with security agencies, abide by established rules and regulations, as well as shun acts capable of breaching public peace.