President Muhammadu Buhari has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Police not to make the mistakes of the past during the upcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
Buhari gave the warning at a meeting he held with the management of both the police and INEC in Abuja last week.
According to the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, the meeting did not last more than five minutes.
The position of the Presidency is coming against the backdrop of the allegation by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party that the meeting was suspicious.
But Shehu said in a clarification note on Sunday that Buhari called the meeting cited by the PDP to warn in particular the INEC and the Police to prepare and give the nation credible elections.
Buhari was said to have told the leadership of the two institutions that he expected nothing short of free, fair and credible elections.
He said he had suffered election manipulation in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and will not like to have any Nigerian go through that again.
He warned against the intimidation of voters in anyway and vowed that he was prepared to move with all the force available to him against anyone who undermines the rights of any citizen.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) was said to have been at the meeting that lasted for about five minutes.
Shehu added: “Nigerians should be wary of the PDP’s fruitless attempts to destroy national institutions President Buhari is determined to rebuild.
“They started with the courts, then the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), then onto the Police and now they are on the one-week old INEC.
“When will PDP allow our national institutions to do their job?”
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