By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP) has urged residents of Enugu State to come out en masse to vote candidates of their choice in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
NPP is a British Government programme aimed at supporting and developing community-policing in Nigeria.
Mr Solomon Akpanufot, NPP State Intervention Lead in Enugu State, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.
Akpanufot said the police as the lead security agency on election matters in collaboration with sister security agencies had re-assured the residents of the state of their protection before, during and after the elections.
He, however, advised the residents of the state to put the disappointments of Saturday’s postponement of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) behind them and re-invigorate their faith in the electoral process.
“The various stakeholders in politics in the state have signed a peaceful accord and undertaking to ensure that the ever existing peace in the state remains.
“The various security agencies’ heads in the state, working in synergy, had in various fora assured of a peaceful, hitch-free and credible elections in the state,’’ he said.
Akpanufot noted that the NPP programme had contributed a lot to the preparations for the elections in terms of training and re-training various stakeholders on election duties and ensuring the security agencies work together in synergy.
“NPP has a role in the election and our role is to bring various security stakeholders together in the state and support them with trainings.
“Sponsoring and partnering them in the various security meetings involving senior officers and head of security agencies for them to fashion out best ways to secure the election.
“As well, ensure that all security personnel working in Enugu State exhibit professionalism and remain apolitical as they discharge their election duties,’’ he said.
More than over 1.7 million prospective voters collected their Permanent Voter Cards in the state to vote.