Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has appealed to the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare ll, to talk to the political gladiators in Saturday’s governorship election in Edo state to sheath their swords.
He state this shortly after a courtesy call on the Monarch at his palace.
Adamu noted that the peace pact he previously had with the stakeholders yielded positive impact in the state.
“We came to receive the blessings of Oba, His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, because we can’t come to Benin without passing through the Palace.
“When we came, we requested the palace, as he did before, talk to the political gladiators, that is, the contestants in the Saturday election, to speak to them again to be law-abiding because the first time he spoke to them, there was result, all the violence went down.
“We asked the palace again to increase the tempo by talking to them again. And before then, we met with all the political parties and the contestants in the gubernatorial election and we spoke to them, we explained to them the security arrangements we have put in place and the INEC chairman also told them the arrangement that has been made.
“We asked them to partner with us for free and fair election and they have assured us that they will abide by the electoral laws as it is provided by the laws and by the grace of God, we shall have free and fair election,” the IGP said.
Earlier, Ewuare II told the police boss that there has never been an election that has generated tensions as this in the history of the state.
He however urged the security agencies in the state to leave up to their billings.
