Assistant Inspector General of Police, Jonathan Towuru of Zone 6, on Thursday, appealed to political parties in Cross River to allow for a peaceful conduct of the general elections in the state.
Towuru made the appeal in Calabar during a meeting with leadership of the 17 political parties fielding candidates for various elective political offices in the state.
He gave assurance to the parties that the police would be neutral in the discharge of their duties before, during and after the polls, but however urged the political parties to play their part in ensuring peaceful elections.
The AIG also appealed to the leadership of the parties to sensitise their supporters to the need to play politics by the rule.
“I am here appealing to you to speak to your supporters to eschew violence and maintain good conduct during the elections.
“I don’t want violence. We must all strive for peace before, during and after the elections. Before election, we were brothers and we will remain so after the elections,” Towuru said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Mr Anthony Bissong, has expressed worry over the spate of political violence in the state within the past weeks and implored security agencies to arrest the situation.
He particularly condemned the attack and destruction of properties of the opposition while the police remained mute on it.
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“Only yesterday, in broad day light, the House of the PDP chairman in Obudu was attacked and his properties, including vehicles destroyed.
“Similar attacks have occurred in the past few weeks and there have been no action from the police,” Bissong said.
In his reaction to this, the AIG said he was aware of the incident and that some personnel have been deployed to the area and he expects an interim report on the incident shortly.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in the state, Aliyu Garba, has charged police personnel deployed to the three senatorial districts of the state to remain neutral in the discharge of their duties.
Garba gave the charge while addressing them at the command in Calabar, while also advising the officers and men not to infringe on the rights of anyone in the process of discharging their duty. (NAN)
