Police ready for Osun, Ekiti elections, says Minister

”The police is to maintain peace, law and order and we are going to stand by that in all elections.”

The Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, on Monday said the police were ready for the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states.

Mr. Adesiyan gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Osogbo, Osun State.

He said that the police were professionally and psychologically ready for all the elections, including the 2015 polls.

He said as long as all political parties and other stakeholders in the electoral process played the game according to the rules, there would be no need for any interference in the polls.

”The police is to maintain peace, law and order and we are going to stand by that in all elections.

”As the Minister of Police Affairs, my allegiance is not to any political party and as you know the police is basically a professional outfit, from the commands to the officers you see on the streets.

“They owe Nigerians a duty to protect and maintain peace and my appeal is that all political parties that will be participating in the Ekiti and Osun elections should ensure that they do not foment trouble,” he said.

The minister added that as long as political parties campaign with their manifestoes before the elections, “the rest is left for the electorate to decide through the ballot”.

He said the police would not drag themselves into the “waters of politics” adding that they were apolitical and would remain so.

He, however, warned politicians, who are thinking of winning at all cost or to foment trouble during the exercise, to have a re-think.

”The safety of Nigerians is of importance to the government and the police will not shirk its responsibility of maintaining order before, during and after the elections.

”The Nigeria Police Force is well trained beyond submitting to the whims and caprices of any political figure or groups”, he stated.

(NAN)