The Ekiti State Police Command has warned politicians against illegal protest that can incite the people.
The warning is coming as the tribunal delivers today its judgment on the governorship petition on Ekiti election.
The police said the command would not allow anyone to disrupt the peace under the pretext of a protest on the judgment.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14, 2018 governorship election, Prof Kolapo Olusola, challenged the victory of Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the validly elected governor at the Election Petitions Tribunal.
Kolapo, who garnered 178,223 at the poll, cited alleged cases of vote-buying, falsification of results and balloting snatching in the election won by Fayemi with 197,459 votes.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Police Commissioner Asuquo Amba said the command’s Operation Make Ekiti Safe Squad is on the ground to tackle any unlawful protest.
Amba, who spoke through the command’s spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “This squad is a Joint Task Force (JTF) comprising the police and other sister agencies with about 150 men.
“They spread all over the state and are being overseen by the police. So, they are on the ground to stop any unlawful assembly or stop any protest that could result in violence.
“Though people are free to hold peaceful protest, but no one has written to us now to say that he would stage any protest over the judgment.
“Even if any group would stage a protest, it won’t be one that will cause riotous assembly or that can be hijacked by hoodlums.
“Again, whoever loses still has the option of appeal; so, violence is not the best option. It won’t be tolerated.
“On our part, we are ready and we assure our people that there is no cause for alarm.”
Also, the PDP has expressed confidence that it will be victorious in today’s verdict, considering the plethora of evidence it presented at the tribunal.
Speaking through its State Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, the party said: “Our expectation is very high and we know that we presented our case very well.
“We were able to substantiate our claims on vote-buying, falsification of results, alteration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and ballot snatching with witnesses that gave truthful evidence in court.
“The fact that Fayemi only presented four witnesses out of over 1,000 listed in his reply showed that it was as good as PDP had won ab initio.
“To us in PDP, we are hopeful that we shall be victorious.”
But the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Council’s Director General Opeyemi Bamidele said the election remained one of the most adjudged the freest and fairest ever conducted by INEC.
The former lawmaker said the allegations raised by the PDP in its petition lacked substance and was frivolous.
He said the electorate gave Fayemi the mandate to govern the state by electing him in an environment devoid of intimidation and harassment.
“We are sure of victory. APC won the election fair and square. We even won in areas known to the PDP’s stronghold. So, we have no reason to fear over the judgment,” he said.
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