Supplementary Elections: Police Warns Troublemakers, Unaccredited Observers

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Nigeria Police Force, Plateau State Command said it has uncovered plans by some people who have finalised arrangements to disrupt the governorship supplementary election holding in the state on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

The Commissioner of Police, Isaac Olutayo Akinmoyede stated this during a press briefing held in his office today, Wednesday.

“Some people have finalised arrangements to disrupt the process. Police are up to the task.” He said.

He said that the Inter-agency Council on Election Security met earlier today concerning the election. He added that all sister agencies would take part in the election and resources would be fully mobilised.

He said that election will hold in 9 Local Government Areas, 19 Registration Area Centres (RAC) and 40 Polling Units and another supplementary election will be conducted for one constituency for House of Assembly.

He said, “In the last two elections -Presidential/National Assembly and Governorship/House of Assembly elections, some arrests were made.”

He noted that in the Governorship/State Assembly elections, there were 7 cases and 12 people were arrested while 5 cases were recorded in the Presidential/National Assembly elections while 7 suspects were arrested. He stated that four suspects have already been charged to the court while 16 suspects are yet to be charged as police are liaising with the INEC.

While answering questions from journalists on movement restriction, the CP said, “There will be restriction of movement but can’t say categorically whether it would affect only where elections would hold”.

Akinmoyede also added that, ” some election observers were going beyond the mandate of observation. They are partisan and sponsored by political parties.”

He however warned unaccredited observers that, “if you are not accredited by INEC, you can’t observe. Stay clear of Polling Units, Registration Area Centres and collation centres.”

The CP appealed to members of the public to cooperate has they did in the last elections. He also appealed to members of the public not to over celebrate. “It should be limited to the confine of their houses. We don’t want celebration with cutlasses, firearms etc.” He concluded.