Police issue a warning to presidential candidates; “caution your followers against making offensive comments”.

The Nigeria Police Force has ordered all presidential candidates, including those from the APC, PDP, LP, and NNPP, to warn their party loyalists and supporters to refrain from making inciting remarks that could unnecessarily heat up the polity and cause excessive excitement among the electorates and the country’s general populace.

According to the Force headquarters, this warning was issued in light of the continued close surveillance of the 2023 elections as well as a number of intelligence reports and high hopes from all sides.

Olumuyiwa, the force’s public relations officer, said this in a statement on Monday morning in Abuja.

The statement read, “The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties, to seize the opportunity of this waiting period to emphasize the rule of law, respect for the Constitution, and constituted authority amongst their supporters, as we all owe a duty to ensure that the nation does not fall into anarchy on the basis of interests and sentiments.

“The Force similarly reiterates the need to desist from mounting undue pressure on the electoral process viz-a-viz the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body which is constitutionally mandated with the conduct of elections and announcement of results, as all hands are on deck to speedily conclude collation of results and declare the winner.

“While commending the general populace and electorates for their patience thus far and largely lawful conduct around the country, the Police, therefore, encourages presidential candidates to admonish their supporters to uphold the tenets of the Peace Accord recently signed for the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.”