The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has appealed to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, to repeat an earlier peace meeting with political gladiators ahead of the September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Adamu made the appeal when he visited the revered monarch’s palace in Benin on Monday.
He said that the political tensions reduced immediately after the first meeting, which held on September 2.
The police boss said the Oba should talk to the political gladiators in the state again to sheath their swords.
“We came to receive the blessings His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, because we cannot come to Benin without passing through the palace.
“We are requesting the palace, as he did before, to talk to the political gladiators, that is the contestants in the Saturday election, to speak to them again to be law abiding because the first time he spoke to them, there was result, all the violence went down.
“We are asking the palace again to increase the tempo by talking to them again.
“We met with all the political parties and the contestants in the gubernatorial election and we spoke to them, we explained to them the security arrangements we have put in place.
The INEC Chairman also told them the arrangements that had been made.
“We asked them to partner us for free and fair election and they have assured us that they will abide by the Electoral Laws and by the grace of God, we shall have free and fair election,” Adamu said.
Reacting, the Oba of Benin urged security agencies to live up to their constitutional obligations in the election.
The traditional ruler noted that there had never been an election that had generated tensions as the 2020 polls in the history of Edo.
According to him, the needful must be done to ensure peaceful election in Edo on Sept. 19, irrespective of challenges.
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