Nov. 6 Anambra guber poll: Police to deploy 34,587 operatives, 3 helicopters

.Supreme Court affirms Soludo as APGA candidate, Victor Oye,  national chairman

.We’re ready for improved election– INEC

The  Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered the mobilization and deployment Thirty-Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven (34,587) police personnel, three (3) Police Helicopters, technical capabilities of the Police Airwing, the Force Marine and the Force Animal Branch, and other operational assets for the Anambra State Gubernatorial Elections slated for November 6th.

The IGP stated this today  at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, during the 2nd Strategic Police Managers Conference for Senior Police Officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above.

The IGP noted that the Force has conducted an Election Security Threat Analysis as part of preparations for the Elections and also developed a Strategic Election Security Operational plan to stabilize the prevailing security situation in Anambra State. These actions are aimed at creating a conducive and enabling environment that will guarantee the peaceful conduct of the elections. The IGP further noted that the 34,587 personnel, comprising conventional police officers, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Forces personnel, Explosives Ordinance Unit (EOD), Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), INTERPOL, Special Protection Unit (SPU) as well as Police Medical Teams, will be on ground to guarantee a hitch-free election. In addition, three (3) Police helicopters will be deployed for aerial surveillance amongst other unique operational capabilities.

The IGP has equally charged the Commissioners of Police in the thirty-six (36) States of the Federation and the FCT as well as their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police to return to their Commands and strengthen the security architecture therein especially as the year gradually winds down and the Yuletide season draws closer. He also directed the Strategic Commanders to evolve proactive anti-crime approaches to enable the Force stay ahead against any anticipated security threats to the lives and property of the citizenry.

Force Public Relations Officer  CP Frank Mba stated that the IGP called on citizens to continue to support the Police in their various localities, noting that a robust police operational asset would be delivered soon which will no doubt re-energize policing operations toward improving public safety and security in the country. He assured the nation that the various policing reforms being vigorously pursued by the Force leadership will avail citizens with a more professional, effective, proactive and accountable Police Force.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed Charles Soludo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ahead of the forthcoming election in Anambra State.

A five-man panel led by Mary Odili also affirmed Victor Oye as the national chairman of the party.

The apex court’s judgement upheld the earlier verdict of the Kano State Division of the Court of Appeal, which validated the primary election that produced Mr Soludo as the party’s candidate ahead of the November 6, 2021 election.

The Court of Appeal had quashed a Jigawa State High Court judgement that recognised a parallel primary election that was conducted by the Jude Okeke-led faction of APGA.

Mr Soludo, a professor and former CBN governor, emerged the winner of the primary election organised on June 23 by the APGA faction loyal to Governor Willie Obiano. The faction is led by Mr Oye.

He got 740 votes to defeat five other aspirants, including Okwudili Ezenwanwko, who came a distant second in the primary election of the party with 41 votes.

However, another faction led by Jude Okeke rejected Mr Soludo’s emergence and subsequently organised a parallel primary on July 1.

Chukwuma Umeoji and Obiageli Orogbu emerged as the govrnorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party in the parallel primary election.

Citing court decisions, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in July, removed the names of Mr Soludo, and his running mate, Onyekachi Ibezim, from the list of various parties’ candidates cleared for the forthcoming election and replaced them with Chukwuma Umeoji and Obiageli Orogbu as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of APGA.

Thursday’s decision laid to rest the intra-party leadership crisis that also affected the party’s governorship primary election.

INEC had cleared 18 political parties for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Among the parties are All Progressives Congress (APC) with Andy Uba as its governorship candidate, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Valentine Ozigbo as its candidate, and the Young Progressives Party, with Ifeanyi Ubah as its candidate.