Kwara state police command yesterday said it would not grant permit to different political parties in a day to hold rallies, processions, meetings and campaigns to avert breakdown of law and order.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ambrose Aisabo, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting with registered political parties in the state that was held at Police Officers Mess, Ilorin, the state capital.
He said: “Even if the political parties will be holding the events in different locations, villages, towns or hall, I will not grant the permit to avoid problems. We don’t want political parties and their supporters to clash.”
The CP also said political parties must inform his office directly in writing at least 24 hours to such events, stating clearly its nature, the venue, roots, expected visitors and hotels they intended to hold such events without deviating.
Aisabor said the Command had not banned rallies and processions in the state because the situation had not warranted such, and urged the people to continue to maintain peace.
He, however, reminded them that the law banning campaigns and rallies at the airport was still in place and charged stakeholders to adhere strictly to it.
“We have conditions under which we can use fire arms but I pray that the people here will not allow us to use our fire arms.”
The police boss warned the political parties and their supporters against premature campaigns, thuggery, and political intolerance and appealed to them to continue to educate their supporters on the need to be orderly at all times.
In his remarks, Director of Youth, Peoples Democratic Party Caretaker Committee in the state, Prince Haliru Mahmud, appealed to members of other political parties to eschew violence and cooperate with the police in carrying out its constitutional mandate.
The state interim Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, also expressed confidence in the ability of the CP to ensure peace, describing him as “one of the finest police officers in the country.”
