The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Sunday charged officers of the Nigeria Police Force to repeat the same professional conduct exhibited during the just concluded Osun State governorship election in 2023.
The Chairman of the Commission, Musiliu Smith, in a statement issued in Abuja, also asked the police officers to sustain the momentum and preparations for future elections, adding that the just concluded Osun election is a signal that 2023 election will be free and fair.
Smith, a former Inspector-General of Police, explained that despite initial squabbles in few polling units, the police with the assistance of officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety and in some places, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as Department of State Service were able to quickly restore peace and order.
The PSC boss’ statement signed by the spokesman fot the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, noted that it was a huge improvement on the last governorship election in Ekiti State, earlier adjudged free and fair.
He said, ”The commission monitored policemen on election duties in the 30 local government areas of the state and rated their performance above average.
”The policemen arrived the polling centres on time and were professional in their conduct. They exhibited a high level of commitment to their duties and were able to restore orderliness in most of the polling units.
”There were an average of three policemen in most of the units who were properly dressed with their name tags and were also firm and courteous to voters.
”The Polling units were devoid of arms carrying security agencies in line with the requirements of the law, but both armed military men and special forces of the police mounted road blocks and paraded the streets.
”Commission monitors across the state reported that there was no major violence recorded in most of the polling units visited.
”The policing of the Osun governorship election was a huge improvement on the last governorship election in Ekiti state earlier widely adjudged free and fair.”
According to him, the commission will continue to promptly reward officers who display exemplary performance in the discharge of their duties to serve as motivation for others.
