Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has said fifty-eight suspected high profile electoral offenders were arrested during the 2019 general elections.

Adamu said thirty-nine out of the fifty-eight suspects had been conclusively investigated and charged to courts while nineteen were still being investigated.

He said during the last elections, 58 high profile arrests were made; 25 were during the presidential and National Assembly elections, 17 during governorship election and 14 others.

Adamu said there was no gain saying the experiences of last general elections and the relationship between INEC, the police and other security agencies was quite cordial.

He commended other security agencies, particularly the military for the cooperation given to the Nigeria Police Force and INEC during the elections.

Adamu assured that the police and other security agencies were ever ready to put in more efforts in ensuring the forthcoming governorship elections were free, fair, and credible, saying the review came at the right time, particularly when INEC is preparing for Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections.

He spoke through Deputy Inspector General Operations, Abdulmajid Ali, during the commission’s review of the 2019 general elections with the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja.

Early in his remarks, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said proven misconduct during the 2019 elections must be dealt with according to the law.

Yakubu said dealing with electoral offenders is one of the surest ways to address impunity and instill sanity in the electoral process.

He said he was happy to note that the Nigeria Police Force made several arrests of suspected electoral offenders during the general elections.

“While we will continue to do our best working with the security agencies in this regard, I wish to renew the call for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Tribunal,” he said.

Yakubu said democracy and credible elections would be deepened where electoral offenders are swiftly prosecuted.

“For instance, in the recent general elections in South Africa held in May 2019, some electoral offenders were arrested and swiftly charged to court even before the election was concluded,” he said.

Yakubu said in preparing for the 2019 general elections there is elaborate plans for the deployment of the security agencies.

“In many instances, this arrangement was seamlessly carried out. In a few cases, however, the processes were disrupted, necessitating the declaration of some elections as inconclusive under the law.

“The Commission then immediately remobilised to conclude the elections.
“From our assessment, insecurity as a result of violent disruption of processes was the major reason why a number of elections had to be declared inconclusive,” he said.

The INEC Chairman, however, expressed concern about the safety of INEC personnel, property and the sanctity of the electoral process in the Nov. 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa.

“Given the history of political violence, resulting in the governorship elections being declared inconclusive in the two states in 2015, the Commission is concerned about the safety of our personnel, properties and the sanctity of the electoral process.

“The politicians in Bayelsa and Kogi must shed off the toga of political violence associated with elections in the two states.

“I am glad to note the peace efforts in Bayelsa state through a broad-based Stakeholders’ Summit on Violence-free elections.

” I am also glad that some concerned leaders in Kogi state are considering a similar initiative,” he said.

Yakubu assured the leaders of the two states that the Commission would work with them to ensure peaceful and credible poll.

He also assured all voters in the two states that INEC would protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that the will of the people prevails.

“We will also work with the security agencies to ensure professionalism and neutrality in strict compliance with their rules of engagement,” he said.