Bauchi: Police Ready for Tomorrow’s Polls, Warn against Thuggery
Bauchi State Police Command has warned politicians and their supporters against any attempt to disrupt Saturday’s gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the state.
The warning came just as a group—the All Progressives Congress (APC) Vanguard for Peace and Tranquility in Bauchi counseled Governor Isa Yuguda, to as a matter of urgency tilt his campaign apparatus to the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
The Police warning, which came few hours to the elections, was contained in a press statement signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Haruna Mohammed and made available to journalists in Bauchi yesterday.
He said, “It has come to the knowledge of Bauchi State Police Command that some desperate politicians are planning to disrupt the forthcoming gubernatorial and House of Assembly election on April 11 in the State”.
The PPRO further warned that the police would not fold arms and watch disgruntled elements truncate the relative peace in the state, which the command is working assiduously to maintain.
Mohammed also advised members of the public to be law abiding and conduct themselves peacefully by shunning all forms of electoral offenses and political thuggery before, during and after the elections.
He explained that as anyone found wanting during the elections period, and even beyond will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the federation.
“On no account should uninformed private and government security agencies and voluntary organisations such as Boys Scout, Vigilante group, Boys Brigade, Peace Ambassadors and other quasi paramilitary organisations be seen in uniform within 300 metres of a polling unit”.
He also warned all security details attached to political office holders to desist from accompanying their principals to the polling booths and collation centres during the elections.
The APC Vanguard National Coordinator, Suleyman Malami Ahmed, who gave the advice during a chat with journalists in Bauchi yesterday, recalled with nostalgia how Yuguda informed the people of the State that he will not disappoint them by defecting from the ANPP on which cradle he rode to power in 2007 to PDP.
“Yuguda instead informed the people barely midway into his first term tenure that his decision to defect to PDP was based by share love and commitment he has for the people of Bauchi State. He also wanted the people of the state to benefit from laughable federal government projects, which can only be achieved by defecting to winning party instead of remaining in opposition”.
The coordinator further recalled that when Yuguda made that remarks, many people in the state believed his words. Now that there is a change of baton at the federal level, the Governor in order not to allow Bauchi remain in the opposition should passionately campaign for the emergence of Mohammed Abubakar of governor of the state on the Saturday election.
He said that the Yuguda PDP-led government has to some extent defectively rewarded with federal government projects such as the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi, which the state is yet to be reimbursed of the project money by the federal government after its construction by the state government.
Ahmed therefore advised Yuguda to implore his supporters, irrespective of party affiliation to canvass support for APC governorship candidate to prevent Bauchi from being ruled by opposition PDP to enable the state benefit from the largesse of Buhari-led APC federal government.