Polls: AIG warns policemen, politicians against bribery
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Calabar — As the country goes to the polls on Saturday to elect Senators and members of the House of Representatives, the Nigeria Police have warned politicians and candidates in the elections not to induce the police by bribing them as the law will catch up with any person that attempts it.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone Six, Mohammed Abubakar, who gave the warning in Calabar, yesterday, during a meeting with the AIG, Cross River State Commissioner of Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and candidates contesting the forthcoming general elections said the police had been adequately empowered for the exercise.
He said every security officer participating in the elections had been given the code of conduct which, among other things, prohibited giving and receiving gratifications no matter the form.
“We do not expect any state government functionary, local government chairman or contestants to make attempts to give the officers anything because the officer will arrest the person.
The police will be adequately mobilised before the exercise.
“Our commitment is to ensure a free, fair and violent free elections. We are there to make sure that there is compliance with all the laws.”
Also speaking, the Independent National Electoral Commissioner for Cross River State, Mr. Mike Igini, said the Police and the Commission were prepared, adding that the level of tolerance by all the political parties in the state has been appreciable.
Igini said there would be no case of snatching of ballot boxes and that any case of such, the votes will not be counted while the ward where the ballot boxes were snatched would be cancelled and fresh election conducted.
At the end of the interactive session, the political parties were happy with the way the INEC has assured of equal opportunities to everyone, but the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, expressed mixed feelings as it had accused the commission before now of being biased.
