Police reads riot act to political parties

The Anambra State Police command has read out riot act aimed at curtailing excesses from political parties and their candidates in the November 18 governorship election in the state.

The police said it became pertinent that the political parties enter into a peace accord which it described as a memorandum of understanding which all the political parties and their standard bearers would adhere to strictly to ensure a tranquil atmosphere during and after the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

Addressing stakeholders during a high-powered inter-agency security meeting involving representatives of the various political parties in the November 18 governorship election at the command headquarters Awka,

the state Commissioner of Police, Garba Baba Umar, stated that the police has every security strategy to ensure that the election is violence-free and that the police is equally partnering other security agencies to guarantee hitch-free election in Anambra State come November 18, 2017.

Umar said that the meeting was for those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring peace in their respective political parties.

He said that the police and other security agencies do appreciate the way and manner the political parties are conducting their campaigns and other pre-election activities devoid of confusion and rancour.

Reading the riot act, the police commissioner stated that the defacing and destruction of posters and billboards are prone to insecurity and as such the political parties are warned to desist from such sinister acts as they are capable of disrupting the peaceful conduct of the governorship election in the state.

He also disclosed that the police has records of petitions through the Department for State Security Service (DSS) concerning political warfare amongst the parties.

The Anambra State Police boss further explained that clashes between political parties on campaign tour at the same venue was unacceptable by the police and that such will no longer be condoned by the security agencies,

stressing that there was need for political parties to notify the police of their campaign visit to a particular place beforehand to avoid rancour.

Again, the police commissioner stressed the dire need for political parties not to import thugs and lodge them in hotels across the state so as to foment trouble on the day of the election.

He said that the police is monitoring the hotels and other public places through their manifest to have firsthand information on guests and visitors in such places for security reasons.

Furthermore, Umar was of the opinion that there should be no hate speeches from any of the candidates nor casting of aspersions on the personality of the candidates,

adding that they should be guided by decorum and maturity in their electioneering activities. He also noted that escorts will not be allowed on the Election Day and that no escort will bear fire-arms.

According to Umar, vigilante operatives have no role to play in the election and that flashpoints in the state have been taken care of assuring that there would be no ballot snatching.

Meanwhile, the riverine areas, according to him, would be adequately covered security-wise as INEC has provided 60 boats while the police provided 40 boats including helicopters to mount surveillance in certain areas,

adding that the police will provide over 400 vehicles that will be on the road to ensure effective security coverage on the Election Day.

The inter-agency strategic parley had in attendance heads of security agencies, civil society groups, the media, and representatives of political parties, amongst others.

John Ndu, Awka