Political thugs and criminal elements hired or contracted for tomorrow’s presidential and National Assembly elections should take a leave of absence from duty as the Inspector General of police on Friday said his officers and men are fully prepared for the criminal elements who may try to disrupt the process urging them to have a rethink.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, at a press conference organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to update Nigerians on the preparations for the elections, said the Police in conjunction with other members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) have 425,106 gallant security personnel to provide security for the elections.

In addition, the IGP said the police is deploying 74 Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs), six helicopters, 50 ambulances, 37 water cannons and 75 fun throttles. According to him, the force has mapped out flash points, which he said were known to them, hinted that deployment of personnel, depending on threat analysis, could be heavy or light.

Mr. Usman hinted that policing for the elections will be carried out at three stages – aerial to be supported by the Nigeria Air force; riverine areas to be secured by the marine security, which will be assisted by the Nigerian Navy, as well as armed personnel to be complemented by the military.

His words: “We have made arrangements for armed patrol in the 36 states and the FCT. Arrangement have been made to sure that the collation centres are protected. Those who don’t have anything at the centres should stay away in their best interest,” he said.

The IGP said each of the 176, 606 polling units will be manned by two unarmed police personnel.

On his part, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said there will be no senatorial election in Enugu East on Saturday due to the death of the Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate.

Prof. Yakubu disclosed that the party has communicated to the commission the death of its candidate, adding that senatorial election will hold on March 11 together with governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Prof. Yakubu , however, said the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold in Imo State where ad hoc staff trained for the elections have withdrawn for security reasons.

The INEC Chairman stated that the commission has made proper arrangement for any glitches that might occur in the transmission of election results, adding that INEC is interfacing with four service providers to handle any problem that may arise.