The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has banned Very Important Persons (VIP) from moving around with police escorts during the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states.
According to the IGP, doing so would be in violation of the Electoral Act.
“No VIP will be allowed to move around with escorts on election day. Election day is an exception. So, no VIP will be allowed to move around with escorts during the elections.
‘’And anyone that does that is violating the electoral law and is liable to prompt arrest, and such people will get dealt with when they’re arrested,’’ Egbetokun stated.
The IGP, who stated this during a Channels Television programme themed, ‘Peoples Town Hall On Election Security,’ on Sunday night, also assured that the force had enough manpower ready for election duty.
He said: “We have been able to deploy adequately for the election. In Bayelsa, we’ll be covering 2,224 Polling Units, and we have enough men and resources to cover those polling units.
‘’We have also made the same adequate arrangements for Imo and Kogi. We have done our threat assessments, and we already know how to carry out our deployments, which we have already done.
“We are doing our deployments in phases; we have started; by Friday, we’ll complete our deployment. But presently, we already have additional men and material resources deployed to the three states where the election would take place.
“We want to assure you that the police and other security agencies are ready for this election, and we are sure that it is going to be peaceful.
“We are going to be doing many things differently from the last election because there are enough officers available since it’s just in three states.
“The electorate should be ready to come out for this election and not be scared because of what might have happened in the past.”
While Assuring that the incidences of vote-buying would be taken care of, Egbetokun added: “Our officers have been adequately trained. Vote-buying is an offence according to the electoral law.
“Anyone caught being involved in vote-buying is liable to arrest. Anyone seen being involved in violating the electoral law would be arrested. As for officers’ allowances, it has been approved, and it will be disbursed accordingly.
“Security agents are meant to be neutral and non-partisan, but what you see as partisanship might not be what the police officer sees. Police officers have been told during training not to be partisan. Any officer found culpable of partisanship will not be spared.”