A Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Dan Doma, has called for peace and compliance to the rule of the game in Saturday’s re-run election in Abia State.
Doma made the call on Friday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, when he met with the leading governorship candidates in the state’s rerun election – All Progressives Grand Alliance’s Dr. Alex Otti and and Peoples Democratic Party’s Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
He admonished politicians in the state not to engage in any electoral fraud, saying that the police would deal with anybody caught engaging in any malpractice.
The DIG also warned police orderlies attached to politicians not to escort their principals to the polling units or collation centres.
Doma said any police orderly found in such places would be arrested “for being at the wrong place at the wrong time”.
He said: “If they must accompany you, they should not be in uniform or carry arms.
“As an orderly, you can only accompany your principals to accreditation or polling units to vote without uniform and arms.”
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state to ensure that electoral materials were distributed on time, saying that he would not tolerate late arrival of materials at the polling centres.
Doma also urged the commission to ensure that electoral officers arrived at their various polling units early so the exercise can commence and end as scheduled to avoid working late into the night.
He warned electoral officers not to convey election materials to the collation centres unaccompanied to avoid ballot snatching.