The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, Kolo Yusuf, has announced a ban on quasi-security outfits and the use of firearms during the campaigns in the state.
He stated this when political parties in the state signed a peace accord to ensure peaceful conduct of the 2023 electioneering campaigns ahead of next year’s general elections
“The involvement of quasi-security outfits during campaigns and rallies and other electoral processes is hereby banned. Also, the use of firearms and other offensive weapons remained prohibited, as infractions will obviously be visited with consequences,” Yusuf stated.
The peace accord was put together by the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on election security to make political parties and their candidates pledge to the public that they will admonish their members and supporters to promote peace and shun acts capable of triggering violence during the process.
All the 18 political parties and their governorship candidates signed the accord and vowed to abide by its provisions for a peaceful conduct.
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The police commissioner assured the parties and Nigerians that the security agency will ensure fair, transparent, credible and violence-free elections.
“Let me assure you on behalf of my colleagues that we shall remain neutral, fair to all, and firm on matters that deviate from the rules of the game and receptive to genuine complaints. It is my hope that collectively, we shall deliver a free, fair, credible, and non-violent before, during, and after the election for the people of Zamfara State and Nigeria,” he said.
On his part, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Zamfara, Babura Ahmed expressed the readiness of the commission to use technologies to enhance the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
“Be assured that INEC is ready. INEC has made all the necessary arrangements, the electoral act has given us very clear guidelines and we are prepared to ensure that the elections are transparent, credible and acceptable to all,” he said.