Guber Election: Police To Focus On Lagos, Kano As Hotbeds – FPRO

Ahead of the forthcoming governorship election scheduled to take place on March 11 in 28 states of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force is putting its eyes on Lagos and Kano States.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, revealed this in an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER.

Adejobi said the agitation by youths which to the ENDSARS campaign make Lagos, especially, a city to watch during the elections.

Recall that some Nigerians in October 2020, picketed the Lekki Toll gate in Lagos demanding a halt to the operation of SARS and police brutality. The demonstration which lasted for a few days, unfortunately, snowballed into a tragic scene of alleged massacre by security operatives.

The incident which has remained memorable in the minds of many Nigerians 28 months after, is likely to affect the voting exercise in the state, the police spokesperson said.

“Every state has one challenge or the other. There are epicenters of these political issues and we know that Lagos might be hot because of the threat of the youths that want to come out for protest votes based on the aftermath of ENDSARS.

“Also, you know after Lagos, you will pick Kano due to the population and demographic nature of the state, which is very critical,” Adejobi disclosed.

As of 2023, Kano State is estimated to have over 6.5 million population size and 11,222 polling units.

During the presidential poll, the state recorded violence in the Tudun Wada area of the state after thugs razed the secretariat of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Two residents were reported dead even as the Police arrested and charged to court, the major leader of the state’s House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa for orchestrating the attack.

Adejobi, however, exempted three states in the South East (Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi)  from states likely to record violence during the forthcoming elections.

“The Southeast has no problem. What is the problem in the East? In the presidential election, they came out to say there won’t be any election; even those that said there won’t be any election came out to vote. The so-called unknown gunmen removed their masks to vote.

“The fugitive that was talking nonsense from Finland asking people not to go out to vote ─ how will someone sit down abroad and be telling you in Nigeria that you should not vote? Why can’t he come here and feel what you feel? So, we are used to all these antics and chief blackmails,” he said.

He further warned those planning to disrupt the electoral process to rescind their plans or face the wrath of the law.

“ Whatever it is, if you want a change, you must look for the change in a non-violent way… If you come out to foment trouble on election day, you are going to have a bloody nose,” he said.