The Nigeria Police Force has threatened to deal with any person or political group that wants to incite violence in Kogi State before the general election in 2023.
At a stakeholders meeting on election security held in Lokoja, the state capital, on Tuesday, CP Adeshina Yusuf, the commissioner of police for Kogi State, revealed this.
The command, in cooperation with other security agencies, has determined to ensure a fair and peaceful election in 2023, according to CP Yusuf, who hailed the meeting as timely.
He urged Kogites to band together, regardless of their political or religious beliefs, and promised that the police would not interfere with the 2023 election.
He stated that the police would work around the clock to apprehend the individuals responsible for the mayhem in various Kogi State neighborhoods that had been the subject of petitions.
The Commissioner advised young people not to be taken advantage of by dishonest politicians who were acting in their own self-interest, describing it as a communal assignment for a free and fair election.
In his remarks, Residents Electoral Commissioner (REC) Gabriel Longpet assured the audience that INEC is completely ready for the election in 2023, noting that the commission needs the assistance of security agencies and important state stakeholders to conduct a transparent, free, and fair election.
He made a suggestion that the panel may have received accounts of numerous events in the state, which, in his opinion, reflect poorly of the people.
The INEC REC warned political parties not to resort to violence but instead to issue-based campaigns in the 2023 election, lamenting the voter apathy seen in previous elections.
Longpet emphasized that as long as political parties were acting legally, no one could prevent them from conducting campaigning.
Longpet advised political parties to be civil and work in compliance with the peace accords reached in the nation while noting that INEC has implemented a lot of technology to create a transparent electioneering process.
He adds that any nuisance that intends to wreck havoc in the state should be reported to security agencies. He wants political gladiators to follow the rules.
