The Inspector General Of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced that Very Important Persons (VIP) will not be allowed to move around with police escorts during the upcoming governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states on November 11, 2023.
The IGP stated that doing so would violate the Electoral Act, News About Nigeria reports.
Anyone found violating the electoral law will be promptly arrested and dealt with accordingly.
Egbetokun made this statement during a Channels Television programme called ‘Peoples Town Hall On Election Security’ on Sunday night.
He also assured that the police have enough manpower ready for election duty and adequate arrangements have been made for the elections.
According to him, “We have been able to deploy adequately for the election. In Bayelsa, we’ll be covering 2,224 Polling Units, and we have enough men and resources to cover those polling units. We have also made adequate arrangements for Imo and Kogi. We have done our threat assessments, and we already know how to carry out our deployments, which we have already done.”
Egbetokun stated that the police and other security agencies are ready for the election, and it will be peaceful. He also assured that the incidences of vote-buying would be taken care of, as the officers have been trained to handle such situations. Vote-buying is an offence according to the electoral law, and anyone caught violating it would be arrested.
Furthermore, Egbetokun emphasized that security agents should be neutral and non-partisan. Police officers have been instructed not to show any partisanship and any officer found culpable of partisanship will face consequences.
The IGP also urged the electorate to come out for the election and not be scared because of what might have happened in the past.
