2019 polls: Ensure rapid response to distress calls during election – Activists tasks Police

Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Youths activists in Bauchi state have called on security personnel to respond rapidly to distress calls by voters, election officials and observers from trouble spots. The Bauchi State Coordinator of ‘Vote Not Fight Campaign’, Comrade Muhammad Auwal Adamu made the appeal o Tuesday while leading other activists on a courtesy visits to the state police Command and the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission as part of their campaign for violence free polls. Adamu urged the police to be fair to all political parties while carrying out their constitutional responsibilities during and after the elections and prosecute electoral offenders including political actors with no discrimination. The activist also charged the police to train their officers to be civil and allow every voter to exercise his constitutional rights without any form of intimidation or restriction during the exercise. “The Vote Not Fight, election no be war campaign is a non-partisan and youth focussed voter education campaign that has been promoting constructive youth participation in Nigeria’s political and electoral processes since the 2015 general elections. The campaign seeks to increase youth voter turnout and mobilize against hate speech, electoral violence and vote buying “. He said. The police public relations officer, DSP Kamal Datti Abubakar who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner of police in Bauchi commended the youths for the gesture assuring that the command is committed to ensuring peaceful elections in the state. He said the February 16 and March 2nd offers opportunity for Nigerians to decide their representatives at various levels of government urging electorate to shun violence throughout the election period. While at INEC office, the youth activists charged election officials to be professional and neutral as well as display openness and transparency in all its activities during and after the elections.