Party Agents must be protected during the elections- SDP

• Emmanuel Alfred

The Social Democratic Party has urged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and other Security Agencies to provide adequate protection for Party Agents and other officials during the election campaign.

This was made known by Yinus Gbadamosi, Chairman of the Osun State SDP, in a press interview on Sunday, January 8, 2023 when speaking on the purported attacks on Party Agents during the recent Governorship Elections in Ekiti and Osun States.

Gbadamosi, who said that peace must be maintained during the upcoming General Elections cautioned Agents to be mindful of their actions at Polling places and to refrain from any form of violence.

He said, “All political parties should be on the watch because we all own the country and we must be very careful of our activities during this period. We are already sensitising our members to this. We need to make sure we have peaceful outings during this election period. We must prioritise the safety of lives and properties.

“The Security Agencies should be active at each Polling Unit to avoid attack on Party Agents and all the Electoral members of staff.
They must also be very professional in their conduct as they are appointed by Political Parties to monitor election activities at Polling Units.”

Political Parties or Candidates are expected to present one polling agent per Polling Unit, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regulations and guidelines for the conduct of the 2023 General Elections.