The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, has reiterated his earlier warning to intending voters not to remain at the polling centres after casting their ballot on Election Day.
The police chief again made his position known on Tuesday during the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, stakeholders’ meeting, when he ‘advised’ voters to go home after voting in order to avoid being arrested for loitering.
Later in the day while addressing a closed-door meeting with 90 commanders of some special units of the police force, Abba clarified his position saying “The police did not ban anyone from the polling units after casting their votes; we only advise people to cast their votes and leave the polling units.”
He further said he gave the advice as part of security measures to check violence in line with the Electoral Act, stating that those who desired to stay and monitor should remain 300 metres away from the centre in line with the Act.
The IGP first issued the “vote and go home” directive on March 19 and it was greeted immediately with criticism and condemnation as particularly by the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, which said that the police boss did not have the power to issue such a directive.
Abba had given the warning while addressing accredited observers for the general elections in Abuja, stating that the possibility of committing electoral offence was very high if voters hung around the polling booths after voting, waiting for the results of the poll.
The APC had immediately asked Nigerians to ignore the directive, observing that neither the Constitution nor the Electoral Act mandated voters to leave the polling area without determining the results of their ballot.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed, advised the electorate to pay attention instead to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Attahiru Jega, who has clarified the issue by stating that the electoral law does not state anywhere that voters should not wait to ensure that their votes are counted.
The INEC chairman, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise programme has said that voters can wait peacefully for ballot papers to be counted as long as they remain law abiding.
But the IGP insisted on Tuesday that voters should not wait after the voting exercise because there is high possibility of committing electoral offense if they stay back.
Abba’s advice for voters to go home after voting curiously came after the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, PRO, Emmanuel Ojukwu, on Tuesday tried to clarify his boss’ earlier position, saying that “the IGP was taken out context”.
Ojukwu, who spoke on the African Independent Television, AIT, program, Kakaaki, conceded that no one could prevent voters from staying back to watch proceedings at the polling booths after casting their ballot, stated “go out and vote and if you want to go home go home and if you want to remain at the Polling Unit do that peacefully.”
In a related development, Abba has ordered a restriction on vehicular movements across the country during the two dates scheduled for the general election.
In a press statement issued by Ojukwu, the IGP announced that vehicles are restricted from movement from 8.00am to 5.00pm on Saturday 28th March and Saturday 11th April respectively.
According to the press statement, only ambulances, Fire Service trucks and others on essential duties are exempted from the restriction.
Expressing regrets for inconveniences caused by these measures, the IGP maintained that it was done in the interest of peace keeping and security.
The IGP further assured that adequate security logistics and manpower have been strategically deployed to achieve a most conducive electioneering atmosphere.
“Policemen for election duty have been properly trained, briefed and sensitized on their roles as stipulated in the Electoral Act. They are expected to be professional, non-partisan, civil but firm in their approach and relation to the public,” he stated.