Police to presidential candidates: Warn your supporters against provocative comments

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has asked presidential candidates to warn party supporters against provocative comments that can trigger violence during the collation of election results.

In a statement on Monday, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, NPF spokesperson, said Nigerians have high expectations for the election.

Adejobi said supporters must not put pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that citizens have the responsibility to ensure the country is protected against chaos.

“In furtherance of the close monitoring of the ongoing 2023 electoral exercise, and consequent upon a series of intelligence reports, and high expectations from all angles, the Nigeria Police Force has deemed it necessary to charge presidential candidates of all political parties, most especially APC, PDP, LP and NNPP, to caution their party stalwarts and supporters to avoid making inciting comments capable of unnecessarily heating the polity and creating undue excitement amongst the electorates and the general populace in the country,” the statement reads.

“The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties to seize the opportunity of this waiting period to emphasize the rule of law, respect for the constitution, and constituted authority amongst their supporters, as we all owe a duty to ensure that the nation does not fall into anarchy on the basis of interests and sentiments.

“The force similarly reiterates the need to desist from mounting undue pressure on the electoral process viz-a-viz the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body which is constitutionally mandated with the conduct of elections and announcement of results, as all hands are on deck to speedily conclude collation of results and declare the winner.”

He called on Nigerians to maintain peace and also urged INEC to ensure quick collation of the results.