By George Ozalla
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has confirmed that Anambra State remains calm and secure ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with security deployments already tightening across the state. This comes as the Commission’s monitoring team, led by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Taiwo Lakanu, arrived in Awka on Thursday to oversee police performance and ensure professionalism during the poll.
DIG Ben Okolo, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence, is expected to lead the overall police team during Saturday’s governorship election, coordinating all field operations in line with the strategic directives of the Inspector-General.
According to a statement signed by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, PSC, the deployment follows the visit of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, whose two-day engagement with stakeholders in Anambra has begun yielding positive results. Police officers on election duty have reportedly taken full control of strategic areas across the state, maintaining visible security presence to reassure residents and deter disruptions.
The Commission stated that its delegation to Anambra is acting within its constitutional mandate to promote credible elections by ensuring that the police, as the lead agency in internal security, perform optimally. To strengthen accountability, the PSC also released a list of dedicated hotlines for residents and observers to report misconduct or commendable behaviour of officers during the election.
DIG Lakanu, who chairs the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting the police in protecting voters, officials, and election materials. He emphasized that free, fair, and credible elections can only thrive in a secured and peaceful environment, and assured that the Commission would closely monitor compliance across all local government areas.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, recently deployed to coordinate the election, has designed a comprehensive operational manual to guide officers in ensuring order and transparency throughout the exercise.
The Police Service Commission reiterated its readiness to work with security agencies and election stakeholders to guarantee a peaceful and credible electoral process in Anambra State.
