"Police will be fair in Imo, Abia and Taraba rescheduled elections" - new Police IG, Solomon Arase

Nigeria’s new police Inspector General, Solomon Arase, has assured that officers will be fair to all Nigerians during Saturday’s rescheduled elections in three states.

Supplementary governorship elections will hold in Imo, Abia and Taraba States, after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the April 11 polls inconclusive.

The police faced allegations of bias during the elections.

Inspector General Suleiman Abba was fired by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, apparently over police role in the elections.

His replacement, Mr. Arase, warned against electoral fraud or violence, saying the police under his control will be decisive in dealing with offenders.

He gave the warning after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja Thursday.

Mr. Arase said he briefed Mr. Jonathan on the preparedness of the police for the elections in the three states.

He said the police were deploying massively to the three states, and assured there will be fairness to all political parties and the electorate.

“Well, first and foremost, we still have some elections left in about three states and we are doing some massive deployment of man material and that is what I came to brief the C-in-C. I can assure you that we are going to have a level playing field for people who want to vote on Election Day,” he said.

“For the deviant, like I said yesterday, (they) will be decisively dealt with,” he said.

Credit: Talatu Usman/Premium Times