By Ebere Agozie
President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya says strengthening the capability, professionalism and operational preparedness of police personnel is important to safeguarding the electoral course of and sustaining public confidence in democratic establishments.
Badejo-Okusanya, made this identified on Friday in Abuja at a coaching session for 10,000 law enforcement officials nationwide on election safety administration forward of the 2027 General Elections.
Represented by Mr Afam Okeke, National Secretary of the NBA, Badejo-Okusanya mentioned the five-day coaching was commendable, notably given the essential function of safety companies in guaranteeing peaceable, credible and safe elections.
“The NBA recognises that free and fair elections thrive in an atmosphere of security, respect for the rule of law, protection of fundamental rights and accountability.
“We therefore welcome this initiative and encourage all stakeholders to remain committed to upholding democratic principles and international best practices in election security management”.
She reassured that the affiliation is dedicated to the rule of regulation and the development of democracy and stays prepared to help initiatives that promote peaceable elections, strengthen democratic establishments and defend the rights of all residents.
The president tasked the police on remaining impartial, skilled and accountable all through the electoral course of.
“You should be professional and impartial in your policing to ensure credible elections as you have a critical role to play in protecting voters, electoral officials and the integrity of the electoral process”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stories that the coaching is being carried out at designated centres throughout the nation.
The coaching covers election safety administration, crowd management, battle prevention, guidelines of engagement, human rights, intelligence gathering and lawful responses to election-related incidents.
The first section includes officers from 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the programme designed to determine uniform operational requirements forward of their deployment for election duties. (NAN)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
