Activists have been instructed by the State Police Command to apprehend anyone found engaging in or encouraging violence during the primaries in Edo State, which are being held by various political parties in preparation for the governorship election on September 21, 2024.
Commission Chief Funsho Adegboye reportedly issued the directive during a news conference in Benin City on Wednesday, according to MISMOB.
According to Adegboye, who was accompanied by Chidi Nwabuzor, the command’s public relations officer, last Saturday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) delegate primary election was a wake-up call for the command.
According to MISMOB, one of the candidates for the APC gubernatorial allegedly financed thugs who caused violence during last Saturday’s primary.
Invading the primary election’s collation and announcement location, the thugs assaulted journalists, electoral officials, and party loyalists. But there were three contenders in the primary.
On Thursday, February 22, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC will both hold their rescheduled primaries, according to the commissioner.
You might recall that we encountered a minor snag with one party delegate election,” he explained. We should no longer tolerate it as party politics, and that has opened our eyes to that, Edo State Police Command.
This time around, we will not treat it like a party issue. To make sure the correct thing is done, we will be looking at it with great seriousness. In order to ensure the safety of these party members and their possessions.
“The Nigeria Police, Edo State Command is fully prepared to guarantee a delegate election that is free of violence and disruptions in Edo state, regardless of the political party in power.
“We are prepared to guarantee the safety and security of these delegates, the party members and their possessions,” he declared.
He revealed that the state’s police chief had sent out sufficient numbers of officers and personnel for the drill, and he said that the command was crossing its fingers that no civil disobedience or violent incidents would occur.
The Command is coordinating with all other sister security agencies to guarantee a crisis drill, according to the Commissioner, who did not reveal how many people will be deployed for the exercise.
He issued a stern warning that anyone caught doing so will face consequences, regardless of their personality.
Adegboye urged the delegates to the political parties’ primaries to remain calm and warned that anyone, regardless of character, caught causing problems would face prosecution.
But he made it clear that state security vigilantes won’t be stationed at any of the polling places.
No election, whether it’s a local, state, or national one, involves the vigilante.
There is no connection between the vigilantes and the security forces. We can’t afford to keep them around for such crucial tasks, especially since they are a state-owned security company, he continued.