EKITI POLL: Police Professionalism Unprecedented — Media Entrepreneur Wisdom

By Pan Afric Reporters | Ado-Ekiti

A media entrepreneur and public affairs commentator, Onwe Wisdom, has commended the Nigeria Police Force for what he described as an unprecedented display of professionalism during the Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election, saying the conduct of security personnel significantly contributed to the peaceful atmosphere witnessed across the state.

Speaking after monitoring the electoral process in several parts of Ado-Ekiti and surrounding communities on Saturday, Wisdom said the level of discipline, restraint and operational coordination exhibited by police officers represented a marked departure from the security challenges that have often characterized elections in parts of the country.

According to him, officers deployed for the exercise maintained a visible presence without intimidating voters, while ensuring that electoral officials, materials and voters were adequately protected throughout the voting process.

“What we have witnessed today is a remarkable demonstration of professionalism by the Nigeria Police Force. Their conduct has been civil, responsible and reassuring to voters. They have provided security without interfering with the electoral process,” he stated.

The media entrepreneur noted that from observations gathered at various polling units, security personnel maintained order, responded promptly to emerging concerns and worked closely with other security agencies to prevent disruptions.

He stressed that the security architecture put in place for the election helped to boost public confidence and encouraged voter participation, particularly among residents who might otherwise have been apprehensive about exercising their civic rights.

“The visibility of security personnel gave voters confidence. More importantly, they conducted themselves in a manner that respected democratic norms and the rights of citizens,” Wisdom added.

An assessment of the election environment showed that security agencies adopted a proactive strategy, including strategic deployment of personnel, regular patrols and rapid response mechanisms aimed at preventing electoral violence and vote-buying activities.

He also commends the security leadership and the prowess displayed by CP Abayomi Shogunle, the Commissioner of Police overseeing election security operations, ensuring officers escorted electoral materials from the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to all local government headquarters in the state.

The deployment of security personnel stationed to guard the materials pending their movement to Registration Area Centres (RACs) and eventual distribution to polling units on election day is itself a game changer in the process.

” I believe this deployment help to avert intending or planned attempt at disrupting the process.” He noted.

“We have supported INEC in ensuring that both sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials arrived safely in all the 16 local government headquarters in Ekiti State. The next phase is to escort these materials to the RACs and, very early tomorrow morning, to all polling units across the state,” he said quoting the Cp election in press briefing the earlier addressed.

The polling units were ready by 6:30/7:00 a.m., ahead of the commencement of voting at 8:30 a.m. He observed.

The Force’s operational strategy in the election as approved by the Inspector-General of Police he said provided a comprehensive operational order anchored on a multi-layered security framework designed to neutralize threats before, during and after the election.

Quoting the CP election, Onwe said

“the operational strategy includes an outer security ring covering border areas between Ekiti and neighbouring states including Kogi, Kwara, Ondo and Osun, where security forces had conducted clearance operations against criminal elements over the past month.”

He also commended the deployment of specially trained operatives from the Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Special Intervention Squad to monitor forest corridors and major entry points into the state.

He noted that unlike previous election cycles in some parts of the country where allegations of harassment and excessive use of force often dominated public discourse, the Ekiti governorship election witnessed relatively few security-related complaints.

As Analyst, he believes the professionalism displayed by security agencies, particularly the police, reflects ongoing reforms and capacity-building efforts within the force, as well as lessons learned from previous electoral exercises across Nigeria.

Wisdom urged the police leadership to institutionalize the standards demonstrated during the Ekiti poll and replicate them in future elections nationwide.

“This should become the benchmark for election security management in Nigeria. When security agencies remain neutral, professional and focused on protecting citizens rather than influencing outcomes, democracy is strengthened,” he said.

The election is expected to serve as another important test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of future electoral contests across the country, with stakeholders emphasizing the need to sustain the gains recorded in security management and electoral administration.