#NigeriaElections2023: Police Warn Candidates, Supporters Against Inciting Comments

The Nigeria Police Force has asked candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, New Nigerian Peoples Party, among others, to rein in their supporters from making inciting comments “capable of unnecessarily heating up the polity and creating undue excitement among the electorates.”

In a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Monday, the police further cautioned all party stalwarts to desist from mounting undue pressure on the electoral umpire over announcement of results.

The statement partly read, “The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties, to seize the opportunity of this waiting period to emphasise the rule of law, respect for the Constitution, and constituted authority among their supporters, as we all owe a duty to ensure that the nation does not fall into anarchy on the basis of interests and sentiments.”

Meanwhile, the Force commended voters for their patience and lawful conduct while also charging presidential candidates to caution their supporters in respect of the recently signed peace accord.