The Social Democratic Party, (SDP), in Kogi State has raised the alarm over the move by the Kogi State Government and the All Progressive Congress, (APC) in the state to use the Nigeria Police to rig the election particularly in Kogi Central.
In another development, hundreds of women in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State protest escalation of violence in the area ahead of the rescheduled Saturday general election.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the state Acting Chairman of the party, Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, alleged that huge sums of money was given to the police earlier deployed to Kogi Central, before the postponement of the elections by INEC to motivate them to give cover to APC thugs to snatch election materials and perpetuate other Electoral violence.
The party also alleged that the state government in its bid to save its face is now moping up money from all the Ministries and MDAs in preparation for vote buying, this he said by taken seriously.
“We also call on all relevant agencies to watch out for this. Money that ordinary would have been used to pay backlog of salaries or invested in the provision of critical infrastructure is being wasted.
“We call on our. Members and supporters not to lose hope as a result of the postponement .
The Chairman called on the Inspector General of Police and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police to ensure that his men deployed for the election exercise abide by their rules of engagement by remaining neutral throughout the exercise.
On recently women in Ihima Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State protest escalation of violence in the area ahead of the Saturday rescheduled election.
They called on the commissioner of police to quickly arrest the trend by bringing to book all identified trouble shooters irrespective of their political affiliation.
Reacting to the development the Kogi State police command said its men deployed for the election are trained on their rules of engagement.
Speaking with Our reporter in a telephone interview, the police public Relations Officer, (PPRO), William Aya said no officer can take side with any politician, saying that the consequences of such actions are well spelt out in the rules of engagement.
He assured all the political actors in the state that the police would remain neutral, adding that any officer who engage any act contrary to the laid down rules would be made to face the full wrath of the Law.
