The Abia Police Command has urged political parties to maintain the peace as the state prepares for the rerun election to the Abia North senatorial seat on March 5.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia on Monday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Joshak Habila, said that security personnel would not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anybody involved in any form of electoral malpractice.
He said that security agencies had learnt from experience and would provide adequate security for all electoral officials as well as essential and non-essential election materials.
He said the police and other security agencies had committed themselves to ensuring that nobody would bend the law.
“The message we are sending to the public is that they have the right to arrest anybody trying to disrupt the electoral process on March 5 and hand the person over to the police.
“We are going to be strict and there will be no compromise as electoral officers will go to the polling units when all the voting materials are given to them.
“Also on the election day, everyone is expected to remain in their polling units because we want to expunge the issue of invasion of polling units and collation centers,” he said.
He urged the parties to prevail on their supporters to shun violence and work to ensure peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
In his remark, Sen. Emma Nwaka, the state chairman of the PDP, said his party would ensure that members conformed to the rules.
Chief Nwaka Inem, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), however, called on the police and other security agencies to protect the interests of the electorate during the election. (NAN)
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