The Nigeria Police Force has charged the presidential candidates to caution their party stalwarts and supporters to avoid inciting comments that could heat up the polity and cause undue excitement in the populace.
Force Public Relations Officers (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said this in a statement on Monday.
The police said that the presidential candidates must use the period of waiting for the results of Saturday’s election to emphasise the rule of law and respect for constituted authority.
The police also warned against mounting undue pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as it goes about collation of results and declaration of winner.
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The statement read, “In furtherance of the close monitoring of the ongoing 2023 electoral exercise, and consequent upon a series of intelligence reports, and high expectations from all angles, the Nigeria Police Force has deemed it necessary to charge Presidential Candidates of all political parties, most especially APC, PDP, LP and NNPP, to caution their party stalwarts and supporters to avoid making inciting comments capable of unnecessarily heating up the polity and creating undue excitement amongst the electorates and the general populace in the country.
“The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties, to seize the opportunity of this waiting period to emphasize the rule of law, respect for the Constitution, and constituted authority amongst their supporters, as we all owe a duty to ensure that the nation does not fall into anarchy on the basis of interests and sentiments.
“The Force similarly reiterates the need to desist from mounting undue pressure on the electoral process viz-a-viz the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body which is constitutionally mandated with the conduct of elections and announcement of results, as all hands are on deck to speedily conclude collation of results and declare the winner.
“While commending the general populace and electorates for their patience thus far and largely lawful conduct around the country, the Police, therefore, encourages presidential candidates to admonish their supporters to uphold the tenets of the Peace Accord recently signed for the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.”