THE Plateau State Police Command has deployed 5,000 personnel for the presidential and national assembly election slated for Saturday to ensure peaceful election across the seventeen local government areas of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police Mr. Isaac Akinmoyede who disclosed this at a press briefing in Jos said the personnel would be deployed to various polling units, voting points and collation centers in the state adding that the purpose was not to intimidate the members of the public or create anxiety, but to ensure a peaceful and successful conduct of the election .
He assured that the officers and men deployed were highly professional and competent adding that they will ensure a leveled playing ground for all political parties and warned that anyone caught violating electoral rules and bridging public peace would be made to face to full wrath of the law.
ALSO READ: Elections: Over 1,000 ADC, ADP, APC members defect to PDP in Itesiwaju LG
“Immediately I assumed duty in this command last Friday, I called a meeting of my senior officers within the command to discuss the forthcoming polls. I gave specific instructions that our officers and men on election duty must maintain high professionalism and give all the political parties a leveled playing ground. And warned that anyone caught trying to violate electoral rules and cause problems on election day, will be decisively dealt with, ” he said.
Meanwhile, top officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and hundreds of their supporters from Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to align with Chairman House Committee on Rules and Business in the House of Representatives, Hon. Edward Pwajok (SAN) who recently dumped APC for PDP in the state.
The APC legal Adviser, Hon. Joseph Mani, who led the defectors said they are leaving the APC because the party is empty and has nothing good to offer Nigerians.
“We are defecting to the PDP to support Hon. Edward Pwajok in mobilizing massive votes for Alh. Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of PDP, Sen. Jeremiah Useni, Plateau State Governorship candidate and all PDP candidates in Plateau State. We believe that with Atiku as President and Useni as Governor of Plateau State, Nigerians will have peace and IDPs in Plateau State would be resettled to their various places of abode. APC is full of deceit, they have been complaining every day because the party has nothing to offer, it is on that ground that we are defecting to PDP”
ALSO READ: 2019 Elections: AIG, INEC charge officers, men on democratic policing
In his response, Hon. Edward Pwajok, Chairman House Committee on Rules and Business, said with Atiku hunger, insecurity and economy recession would become a thing of the past and naira will regain it value while the Nigerian economy will bounce back.
Edward, who dumped APC in January 2019 to PDP said the party is full of empty promise which has dashed the hope of the common people and called on Nigerians to vote out APC from the top to bottom.
Also the state chairman of the PDP, former Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Damishi Sango, said PDP was the only party that has concern for the security and welfare of Plateau people and urged the Governorship candidate, Sen. Jeremiah Useni to work closely with Atiku Abubakar if elected into power to resettle Plateau IDPs back to their homes.