As part of its preparations towards a peaceful election in Ondo State on October 10, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it has enlisted the help of the military, police and other security agencies to flush out threats to the peaceful conduct of the exercise, especially in the creeks and other black spots in the state.

The commission noted that there were 62 creeks and more than 270 Polling Units in the riverine areas of Ese-Odo and Ilaje Local Government Areas of the state.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told Newsmen in an interview on Friday that the commission was in touch with the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police to protect and escort the commission’s personnel and materials to the difficult terrains.

He added that the commission would leave no stone unturned to prevent rigging and violence in the election.

In previous elections in the state, the riverine communities had often been identified as flashpoints, given the peculiarity of the terrain as security agents often encountered difficulties in navigating the terrain.

But in a bid to ensure a peaceful exercise in the flashpoints, Okoye said, “The police, Navy and other security agencies have been mandated to engage in clearance operation and flush out groups and individuals that threaten the peace of the state and the electoral process especially in the creeks and other black spots.

More than 270 of our Polling Units are in the riverine areas of Ese-Odo and Ilaje Local Governments, with over 62 creeks, and we are in touch with the Nigerian Navy and the Marine Police for the purpose of protecting and escorting our personnel and materials to these difficult terrains.

“The security agencies will carry out mop up operations, deploy adequate platforms and conduct massive show of force especially in identified flashpoints. We will continue to appeal to the political parties and the candidates to eschew violence.”

Meanwhile, It was also gathered that each polling unit is usually manned by between four and five election officers. Thus, given that there are no fewer than 270 polling units in the riverine areas out of the 3,009 in the state, the number of staff in the area would be about 1,080.

Okoye added, “Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) gives the commission the power to request the assistance of any section of the Armed Forces for the delivery and protection of its staff and materials during elections.

We shall therefore request for the assistance of the Navy for escort in the riverine areas, and the Army will block the entrance and exit out of Ondo State on election day.”

Meanwhile, the Director of Programmes, YIAGA Africa, a popular election observer group, Cynthia Mbamalu, said previous election observation reports revealed that elections in riverine areas were usually susceptible to rigging due to poor logistics management, threat to life, violence and non-compliance with INEC guidelines.

She said in the 2016 governorship election in the state, YIAGA Africa’s Watching the Vote received most of its critical incidents from Ilaje LGA, one of the riverine LGAs.

She added, “To avoid election fraud and manipulation in this election, we need better coordination between the security agencies and INEC to ensure that effective security is provided for the INEC/polling officials for the safe and early deployment of materials to polling units and in securing the polling officials and polling units on election day.

This would include ensuring that there is an effective transport plan that has proper security for the movement of personnel and materials to polling units in the riverine areas. The security agencies, especially the police should ensure effective and sufficient deployment of professional personnel to the polling units in riverine LGAs and the LGAs already identified as hotspots/flashpoints.

Calling on INEC to ensure consistency in the application of its guidelines and ensure the use of the Z-pad to upload the result sheet on the INEC Result Viewing portal, she added, “INEC and the police need to ensure that any of their officials involved in electoral fraud faces disciplinary actions and that electoral offenders are arrested and prosecuted. Finally, INEC should ensure that all its personnel deployed are adequately insured.”

Also, the Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan, called on INEC to know that not just political thugs posed a threat to elections in the riverine areas, militants and cult members were also culpable.

She added, “On deployment of logistics, INEC must make special plans to ensure that materials arrive on time in these riverine areas to prevent apprehension. Secondly, in previous elections, the results from the Ilaje and Ese-Odo were often the last to arrive at the collation centre.

“It is imperative that INEC use her new technology on result collation to ensure transparency, so in these difficult areas, results must be quickly uploaded. This timely upload will be of immense benefit.

“There is also the need for security deployment to protect materials and personnel. It is important to note that in this area that it is not just political thugs the election is contending with, militants, cult members and some stakeholders are also threats. We don’t just need deployment in numbers, effective and non-partisan deployment is key.”

Also, the Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, called for surveillance in the air and on water in the coastal areas.

He added, “Every INEC staff that would be posted to these riverine areas and other sensitive locations must be kitted with a technological device that can trigger necessary alarm in a central location in Akure and Abuja once there is a major incident or danger is cited.

“Since it is a three horse race in the state, tension should lessen ahead of the elections, but nothing can be taken away from desperate politicians. INEC must call for and ensure security surveillance on water and in the air around these riverine areas.”