Anambra Guber: Group Seeks Police, NSCDC Partnership on Civic Participation, Security

By Praise Chinecherm

The Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI) has assured its preparedness to partner with the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure Anambra governorship election was free, fair, transparent and credible.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of both agencies in Awka, Executive Director of CATYCOI, Nonso Orakwe said the engagement was to strengthen collaboration with security agencies in promoting inclusive and credible elections.

According to him, the partnership was crucial following growing concerns of potential electoral violence, urging security agencies to ensure protection of both electoral materials and the electorate before, during and after the poll.

He said, “The initiative is part of CATYCOI’s broader youth-led advocacy for electoral reforms in line with the ongoing constitutional amendment process and the need to safeguard democratic governance in Nigeria.

“We seek collaboration with the Police and the NSCDC to enhance civic participation and ensure security during the election.

“Our goal is to promote good governance, voter education, and inclusiveness throughout the electoral process.”

While commending the police for their professionalism in previous elections, Orakwe expressed confidence that they would replicate and improve upon such performance in the November 8 exercise.

“We are advocating and hoping that the Police and other security agencies will ensure a peaceful, credible, and transparent election devoid of violence,” he added.

Responding on behalf of Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, Police Spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, commended CATYCOI for its advocacy towards peaceful and credible elections.

Ikenga noted that while such initiatives were commendable, advocacy for peaceful elections should ideally begin long before the election year to have wider impact and deeper community penetration.

“This kind of advocacy should have started much earlier so that the message would have reached every part of the state. Our biggest challenge remains voter apathy. People must be encouraged to participate actively in the process,” he said.

The PPRO highlighted the importance of continuous voter education and civic engagement, emphasizing that with innovations like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), incidences of ballot box snatching and other electoral malpractices have been significantly reduced.

“The duty of the Police during elections is to provide a safe and conducive environment for voters to exercise their franchise without fear or intimidation. We are confident that the upcoming election will be peaceful and credible,” Ikenga assured.

The spokesman disclosed that, being an off-cycle election, additional security personnel would be deployed from neighboring states to reinforce security across Anambra.

He further revealed plans for the establishment of a Police Situation Room for real-time monitoring of electoral developments, inviting CATYCOI to participate as observers.

“We have advised our officers to conduct themselves professionally and in a disciplined manner. The Police do not carry arms at polling units, as elections are civic, not military, activities,” he reiterated.

Ikenga added that the command had intensified raids on identified black spots to prevent criminal groups from disrupting the electoral process, while also engaging community stakeholders to caution their members against acts that could jeopardize the election.

At the NSCDC Command Headquarters in Awka, Orakwe reiterated CATYCOI’s commitment to working with security agencies to ensure a peaceful, free, and fair election.

“We are here to seek your partnership to ensure that the November 8 governorship election is credible and devoid of violence. Voters must be confident that they can come out and vote safely,” he said.

Responding, Deputy Commandant PN Ukaobi, who represented the Anambra State Commandant, Mr. Maku Olatunde, pledged the Corps’ readiness to partner with CATYCOI and other civic organizations to promote credible elections.

She lamented the low voter turnout observed in previous elections, noting that despite government’s heavy financial investment in the electoral process, public confidence had remained low.

“The problem is that many people have lost confidence in the electoral process. However, we are beginning to see renewed interest and participation among citizens, which is encouraging,” Ukaobi said.

She assured that the NSCDC would continue to engage with civic groups and stakeholders to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral environment.

Orakwe also revealed that CATYCOI currently has several bills before the National Assembly aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework.

“One of the proposed legislations seeks to establish an Independent Electoral Offences Commission to ensure that electoral offenders are prosecuted promptly.

“It is unacceptable that individuals with pending court cases continue to occupy leadership positions. The law must hold everyone accountable.

“Another proposed bill advocates for the transparent electronic transmission of election results and real-time citizen monitoring of results via online platforms to enhance trust in the process,” he added.

Orakwe called for clearer legal interpretation and implementation of continuous voter registration (CVR), insisting that if registration is truly continuous, citizens should be able to walk into their local government offices to register at any time.

He appealed to security agencies and other stakeholders to lend their voices in supporting these legislative efforts, as they are essential for deepening democracy and electoral credibility in Nigeria.

CATYCOI’s engagements with the Police and NSCDC underscore the critical role of security agencies, civil society, and legal reform in ensuring credible elections.

The partnership aims not only to secure the upcoming Anambra governorship election but also to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and electoral integrity.