NSA denies condemning Bayelsa, Kogi guber polls

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has denied report that it condemned the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.

In a statement last night, the ONSA said it was notified of a media report following the meeting of the Inter-Agencies Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held in Abuja.

The ICCES is an inter-agency platform through which the ONSA supports election security coordination, identify challenges and strengthen national capacity to ensure the safety of the electoral process.

According to the statement, “The National Security Adviser did not condemn the gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States and is not in any position to do so. Furthermore, there is no difference between the position of the Nigeria Police Force and the Office of the National Security Adviser on the recent polls.

“Both agencies have condemned the unfortunate death of Mrs Salome Abuh, in Kogi State. The Nigeria Police has already made arrests  and all security agencies are working to identify other perpetrators of election violence for prosecution.

“Neither the ICCES nor the Office of the National Security Adviser are in a position to pass verdict over the validity of  gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States as some reports suggest. Only the courts are empowered by law to determine issues arising from the conduct of the elections,” the statement said.

“As emphasised during the ICCES meeting, the ONSA will continue to work with law enforcement and security agencies involved in election security to identify gaps, strengthen our collective preparedness and ensure that future elections are safer and conducive. All aggrieved parties to any election are advised to resort to the election tribunals provided by law.”