In the bid to curb electoral violence ahead of the 2023 general election, the Inspector-General of Police IGP, Usman Baba Alkali, held a closed-door meeting with leaders of all 18 political parties in the country.
It was gathered that the meeting held at the IGP Conference Hall at the Force Headquarters in Abuja is focused on ways to address the recent attacks on facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as other forms of electoral violence.
The IGP before the start of the closed-door meeting told pressmen that the gathering became necessary following the recent violence in the country’s political space.
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Baba stated further that the meeting was to promptly discuss and proffer solutions to the issues at hand before it evolves into a threat to national security.
He said, “Political violence manifests in three forms. First is violence that is targeted at the personnel and assets of INEC as recently witnessed in Ogun and Osun States.
“The second form of political violence manifests in form of inter-party intolerance and violence which often becomes particularly pronounced during campaigns, elections and post-elections phases.
“It is on record that not less than 52 cases of such politically motivated intra and inter-party violence have been recorded across 22 states since the official commencement of campaigns for the 2023 general elections on September 28, 2022.”
Some party representatives reported to be in attendance at the meeting include the chairman and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, the National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Suleiman Argungu.
Others are the National Commissioner of INEC, Barrister May Agbamuche-Mbo, the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmad Rufai, some representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigerian secret services, and paramilitary agencies.
