Police Service Commission has charged personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to reenact the professional conduct they exhibited during the just concluded Osun State governorship election in 2023.
PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith, in a statement in Abuja, also urged police officers to sustain the momentum and preparations for future elections, adding that the just concluded Osun governorship election is a signal that the 2023 poll will be free and fair.
Smith, who is a former Inspector-General of Police, noted that despite initial squabbles in few polling units, the police, in collaboration with operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety as well as officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Service succeeded in quick restoration of peace and order.
Smith’s statement signed by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, noted that it was a huge improvement on the last governorship election in Ekiti State, earlier adjudged free and fair.
He stated, ”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.”
He added that the commission would continue to promptly reward officers who display exemplary performance in the discharge of their duties to serve as motivation for others.
