CAST YOUR VOTE AND GO HOME - IGP

Suleiman Abba, the inspector-general of police, is not disposed to the idea of staying to “protect” votes cast and has urged voters to go home after casting their votes next Saturday and on April 11.

According to Abba, who was speaking on Thursday at an INEC briefing with accredited observers for the 2015 general election, there will be enough policemen to protect votes, hence vote protection is will not be the responsibility of the electorate
“Two to three police officers will be attached to each polling unit, and we would provide more officers for the collation centres and for the managers of the elections,” he said.
“We will go on to protect the electorate. Every eligible voter should feel safe enough to cast his votes. We will be there to protect the votes and make sure no one disrupts the process.”
Warning voters against waiting at polling units after casting their voters, he said: “Cast your votes and go and cool down. If you remain there, there is a likelihood that you will commit an offence.
“Asking voters to wait and protect their votes implies taking the law into their own hands. That is unacceptable.”
He urged political parties to abide by the electoral act, which stipulates “one agent to a polling unit”, adding that it is a waste of votes and resources having 30 agents from one political party at one polling unit.
Abba also appealed to candidates in the elections to either accept the results when they are announced or resort to judicial means in expressing their dissatisfaction.
He said thuggery and violence would not be accepted, stating that the police would pursue every legal means to bring violators to justice.
Abba urged INEC to work at mitigating the delays experienced during elections, observing that there would be more delays now with the card readers.