By Giwa SHILE
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje, on Saturday petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimin Edgal, over vandalism of his campaign posters and boards.
Agbaje complained that his campaign boards were vandalised and removed by unknown persons, calling on the police to check the trend, as it may result to political violence.
The Police spokesman in Lagos, CSP Chike Oti, said in a statement that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, received Agbaje’s complaint on Saturday morning.
“To this end, the CP directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti Yaba, to set up a monitoring team.
“The team comprises the Command’s Riders unit, to daily monitor and arrest anybody seen vandalising or defacing campaign posters or boards.
“In addition, the Commissioner of Police has directed that invitation letters be sent to state Chairmen of all political parties in the state, their flag bearers, the INEC and other stakeholders for a meeting.
“The meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5, at 11a m, at the Police Officers’ Mess, GRA, Ikeja,” he said.
Oti said the meeting was to further drive home the fact that there was no alternative to peace and the need for all political parties, their candidates and supporters to desist from breaching the public peace.
“Constrained by limited manpower, there is no way the Command could post policemen to cover all campaign posters in the state.
“The much it can do is to adopt the Aberdeen System in protecting campaign adverts and to solicit the cooperation of all and sundry in ensuring the maintenance of law and order,” he said.
Governorship and state houses of assembly elections are due on March 2, 2019.
Ahead of the elections, campaigns, according to the INEC guidelines, began on Saturday.
Campaigns for the presidential and national assembly elections, scheduled for Feb 16, 2019, had taken off a fortnight ago.
