2023: Governors responsible for political violence – IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has blamed the growing incidence of political violence in the country on some state governors.

Mr. Baba said this during a meeting with political party leaders and other stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.

At a recent meeting of the Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on Election Security (ICCES), National Security Advisor Babagana Monguno recently revealed that the country had witnessed 52 cases of election violence in 22 States in a month.

Mr. Monguno said President Muhammadu Buhari had given all security agencies the green light to deal decisively with individuals or groups who tried to prevent the peaceful conduct of the general elections.

On Thursday, Baba said the meeting was called to engage political party leaders on the growing trend of political violence and to present a common front to resolve the issues.

"We have received reports of some state governors encouraging political thugs.

“They use sub-national security services under their control to disrupt the transparent and legally guaranteed campaign activities of parties or candidates with whom they hold opposing political views.

"In doing so, they deploy their powers and influence either to prevent campaign billboards from being erected or to bring them down.

“They also deprive political opponents of spaces to undertake their peaceful political campaigns or congregations in violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended),” he said.

The IGP blamed most incidents of violence on political extremism, misinformation, intolerance, political misdirection, hate speech, incitement and desperation by strategic actors .

According to him, these actors usually misdirect their party loyalists, arm them, reorient them and encourage them to use threats, violence and other extra-legal means to frustrate political parties competitors.< /p>

He said that political violence in any shape, form or manifestation is an offense under electoral law and a crime under the country's existing criminal laws.

Mr. Baba said the Nigerian Police and other security agencies, in fulfillment of their statutory obligations, would remain obligated to take coercive action to restore order to the political and national security systems.

>

He is committed to adopting proactive measures to identify, isolate, apprehend and bring any political actors and their thugs at political rallies or any other political engagement to deserved justice.

"We have also resolved to put in place strong actions that will deter targeted attacks against INEC assets across the country.

“More than a stern warning, this is a clarion call for all of us, both as security agencies and political actors, to speak with one voice in condemning the violence politics,” he said.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Police Arrest And Extort Doctor For Anti-Hypertensive Drugs

Mr. Baba said the leadership of political parties is key to eradicating political intolerance, threat, violence and other negative tendencies in democratic processes.

He said it was because they are the strategic guardians of our democracy whose conduct or misconduct has a reverberating effect on the actions of their supporters.

The IGP called on leaders of political parties to be determined to display the good virtues of leadership and to publicly disassociate themselves from acts of political robbery and violence.

(NAN)

Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider making a modest contribution to this noble endeavour...