Lucky Obukohwo ReportingÂ
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, said that the force would prosecute candidates and their supporters involved in election violence with a view to cancelling election results during the forthcoming February 25 and March 11 election.
Dankwara disclosed this yesterday in Benin while answering questions from newsmen during a meeting with Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies in the state on ways of achieving free and fair elections in the state.
“Many people often carry out violence in polling units, especially when they know that their candidate is losing with the intention of cancelling the polling unit results.
“Whoever that is involved in election violence whether candidates or agents would be prosecuted, we are not limiting prosecution to the candidates alone but any body involved in election violence.
“We are going to call on all the candidates to append their signature to paper so that if anybody does anything contrary to the law, we would hold him responsible for it”, Dankwara said.
He said the meeting was to enable the Resident Electoral Commissioner have interface with the security agents, especially the police on the new electoral law, as some of the officers may not be abreast of it, in order to have a peaceful election.
He said the police would work on the areas identified as flash point for election violence in the state, stating that the police have zero tolerance for election violence.
On his part, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, said INEC is ready to conduct free and fair election in the state.
“We are here to talk to security agents who would be on election duty for them to have first hand knowledge of how electoral process works in order not to run foul of electoral law.
“We want them to understand the Bi Modal Accreditation System (BVAS) and other gadgets that would be used for the election, what INEC is doing and what is expected of security agents during the election.
He said the INEC has introduced BVAS to address manipulation of election results, adding that it would enable the people to view the result uploaded
Also speaking the head of Directorate of State Service (DSS) N.B Zakari, identified IKpoba Okha, Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Akoko-Edo and Etsako East Local Government Areas as flash points during the election.