The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure early arrival of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials during the November 11, 2023 governorship polls in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states, in order to avoid electoral violence.
PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, stated this at a People’s Townhall on Election Security in Abuja.
Bature also charged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to identify perpetrators of electoral violence in the three states.
He said, “In my opinion, the ring leaders of these crises in these areas should be identified before Friday to further deflate this violence.
“Coming to INEC one of the key issues that bring violence is late arrival of election materials. Sometimes, it is a strategy with the political party that is stronger in the areas. They (INEC officials) bring election materials late so that the election can drag late into the night and that brings about violence.
“The issue of election materials coming on time is key and now the police deploying (officers) and identifying these ringleaders in all the areas that we have identified as flashpoints.
“There are people who are already planning for violence. So, the security agencies should look at the template they have so that before they act, they are already there to protect the voters.”
Meanwhile, Bature said if President Bola Tinubu sustained his assurance that he has no candidate in the polls, the level of violence will noticeably reduced before, during and after the polls.