Speaking during the first consultative meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja on Tuesday, Amupitan warned that attempts to induce voters before or during the election must be resisted and curtailed.
He said the commission was collaborating with law enforcement agencies, particularly anti-graft institutions, to ensure that those who engage in vote buying are apprehended and prosecuted.
“Security agents cannot afford to create an environment that allows vote buyers to operate during the Anambra election. Together, let us combat vote buying, uphold democratic values, and work relentlessly for credible elections,” he said.
Amupitan noted that after a week-long readiness assessment across the state, INEC was fully prepared for the election. He explained that a mock accreditation exercise was successfully conducted in 12 polling units across six local government areas using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“Although we encountered some network challenges, we are making efforts to ensure a seamless process on Election Day,” the INEC boss added.
He further disclosed that INEC plans to deploy 24,000 personnel for the polls, with voting scheduled to hold in 5,718 of the 5,720 polling units in the state. Results, he said, would be collated at ward, local government, and state levels in Awka.
In his remarks, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, assured that the Office of the National Security Adviser remains fully committed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on ensuring maximum security during elections.
Represented by the Director of Internal Security, Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi, Ribadu said enhanced surveillance, deployment of adequate security personnel, and improved intelligence gathering were in place to prevent disruptions by political thugs or other groups.
He warned that any act of electoral violence would attract a strong response, adding that the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies were ready to maintain peace and protect voters.
“All political parties and candidates must preach peace and encourage their supporters to respect the integrity of our democratic process,” the NSA said.
