Voters can’t loiter at polling units, Abba insists

Suleiman Abba, inspector-general of police (IGP), is insisting that Nigerian voters have to ‘go home and cool down’ after casting their ballots on Saturday.

Abba caused controversy when he said at the briefing of accredited election observers in Abuja last week that voters should go home after voting instead of waiting at polling units to “protect their votes”.

He had vowed to deal with anyone who breached the peace.

On the basis of that, the All Progressives Congress (APC), released a statement urging its members and supporters to disregard the warning.

But at the National Stakeholders’ Summit on the 2015 general election in Abuja on Tuesday, Abba reiterated his call on all voters to head for their homes after casting their votes.

“I advise voters, for the security of the elections, that after voting, they should go home,” he said.

Abba hinged his advice on Section 129 of the Electoral Act, which stipulates required conduct at polling units during elections.

“This advice is from what I observed from the provisions of the Electoral Act, Section 129 in particular, which list nine offences that could be committed at the polling unit,” he added.

He also advised political leaders to cast their votes and leave, instead of campaigning at the polling units.

Abba said that there would restriction of movement across the country between 8am and 5pm on the election day.

He also identified some of the causes of election violence, noting that partisanship and high-handedness of the policemen were some of the triggers, but he promised that the police had taken measures to ensure that threats to elections and violence are mitigated.