David Umahi
March 18 elections: Governor Umahi orders restriction of movement
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
Governor David Umahi has assured Ebonyians of adequate security to ensure free and fair conduct of Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections, even as he ordered security agencies to restrict both vehicular and human movements across the State within the voting hours.
Governor Umahi gave the directive during a Security meeting in his Office, Ochoudo Centenary City, Abakaliki, Friday.
While commending security Agencies for their professional conduct in the previous elections, Governor Umahi appealed to them to redouble their efforts in the Saturday’s poll.
He warned political actors against acts capable of causing violence or undermining the transparency of the election as anyone caught would be tried according to the electoral offences law as there would be no sacred cows.
“Let me first commend the security Chiefs. You are aware that I expressed dissatisfaction with the previous conduct but after empirical analysis of the happenings, we discovered that it was not actually a security lapse.
“I want to thank the security Agencies very highly and to express confidence in them. Let me appeal to all political parties and Candidates to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order tomorrow.
“I want to say that the election of 25th February remains the best election in the history of this Country, I think that INEC has done a very wonderful job.”
Governor Umahi who said he got an intelligence report that fake observers had infiltrated the state ordered the State Commissioner of Police to do fresh accreditation to all election observers.
“The position of IG is that movement is restricted and I insist as the Chief Security Officer that no man, woman, big man or small should move from one polling unit to the other; if we catch you, you must be prosecuted.
“Please, vote and go home and be peaceful so that we can have a peaceful State, power belongs to God.
“We have noted some alleged INEC officers going up and down and claiming that they can bypass BVAS, don’t mind them, nobody should be helped.”
“Every observer that is accredited by INEC will need to also be accredited by the CP.
“We are requesting Ebonyians to please come out even more than they did during the first election as the Security Agencies have put modalities in place to ensure peaceful election, please allow the election to hold.”
