MEN of the Nigerian Army, anti-riot policemen and other security agents at 2 p.m. yesterday began the parade of major flashpoints in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Their mission was to comb the nooks and crannies of the state capital, ahead of today’s tension-soaked governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo, Ibadan, Lt. Col. Ochagwba, who spoke with reporters at 4.20 p.m. yesterday said the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the command, Major-General Muhammadu Abubakar, in the early hours of yesterday, addressed all the officers to go all out and check any untoward development capable of causing violence in the state.

Ochagwba said that the development informed the early parade of major streets and flash points in Ibadan and other zones by the joint patrol of security agents to ward off any negative development.

“We are fully prepared like the previous two elections so far held. The preparation you have seen is a pointer to how prepared we are. Our men filed out as early as noon because you pressmen don’t have the kind of information we have.


“We want to be in position before they began their nonsense. The GOC instructed all the officers this morning that they should be battle ready because Youth Corps members must be protected like the electorate during and after voting.

“Any thugs or political hoodlums caught will be sorry for himself or herself. People of the state should not fear anybody, they should come out to exercise their franchise”.

Speaking later with reporters at the Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan, on the internal security arrangement for the elections, Major-General Abubakar vowed to deal decisively with any group or individuals out to truncate the electoral process, irrespective of whose ox is gored.

He warned that any thug caught on the street during and after the election causing trouble would be extremely dealt with.

According to him, anyone found violating the restriction order would be made to face the full weight of the law.

He said that any aggrieved party should follow due process by seeking redress through the election tribunal, instead of taking laws into its hands.

The GOC, who oversees the six states in the South-West, Edo and Delta states, disclosed that about 39 electoral offenders were arrested by soldiers in the last election, adding that they had been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for further prosecution.

He debunked the claim that there had been mass deployment of soldiers for the election, saying that majority of the military personnel had been sent from peace keeping training in Jaji.

“We are going to deal decisively with trouble makers. There should be a change of attitude, as we do not want the situation in Bauchi to rear its head in Oyo.

“As the GOC of 2 Division, I have the task of protecting lives and property of Nigerians. This is a task I am prepared to carry out because there will be no sacred cows,” he declared.

He called on parents and guardians to prevent their wards from being used as thugs.

Earlier, there was tension in the state over a rumour that one of the governorship candidates had perfected plans to rig the polls by distributing already-thumb-printed ballot papers.

But, the Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Alhaji Bashiru Akanbi, said if any party was involved in such a criminal act, then, it must be one of the opposition parties.

Akanbi wondered why such a lie could thrive when security agents, including soldiers, were around to watch over the voting materials, adding that he was not surprised because the rumour had been rife, even when INEC was yet to distribute the materials.

He said: “It is a lie. Electoral Officers, Secretaries of ACN, Accord Party, ANPP and PDP are now at the INEC office witnessing how the materials are being distributed to the electoral officers. Besides, two police men and soldiers would escort the materials to places they are meant to be taken to. And the papers had already been serialised by INEC”.

“We are right now in the Government House having a stakeholders meeting. You can come here now and see it. They are liars. They are only afraid of their failure. They have shot themselves in the foot by saying Ibadan people should vote for Ibadan people. Are Ibadan people only in Oyo State?”

Akala should rethink his thuggery tactics