IGP Baba Reveals Those Working To Disrupt 2023 Elections

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has accused failed politicians and separatist groups of planning to disrupt the 2023 general elections.

He also claimed that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), and Yoruba Nation agitators are responsible for the recent attacks on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Naija News reports that the Police chief made the accusation during an appearance before the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee investigating attacks on INEC offices.

Baba, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Operations, Dandaura Mustapha, said the attacks on INEC buildings increased after the electoral agency lifted the ban on political campaigns.

He stated that some politicians were involved in inter and intra-party disputes which led to the destruction of billboards, posters, and campaign offices in some parts of the states.

He said: “The Nigeria Police, being the lead agency in internal security and elections generally, is always at the receiving end. Whatever happens, the police must protect the people here and there.

“When INEC finally lifted the ban on campaigns, the campaigns commenced, and what we realized initially was inter and intra-party disputes.

“We realised that members of political parties were destroying billboards, posters, and campaign offices in some parts of the states. We quickly alerted the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Commands and gave them clear directives that it is the right of every political party to go to all the nooks and crannies of society and campaign.

“It is a constitutional right so on no account should a state governor or any state actor prevent political parties from moving about to do their campaigns.

“We now come to the immediate attack on INEC facilities. Of recent are the ones that took place in Osun and Ogun, Ebonyi, Imo, and Enugu.

“What we discovered is that — we all know in this country — it is a well-known fact that in the South East geo-political zone, we have issues of secessionists — the IPOB and ESN. These groups are bent on stopping elections from taking place in the South East.

“They have been attacking our personnel; they have been killing our personnel. They have been retrieving arms from members of the security agencies, not only the police — the military and other paramilitary organisations that are there.

“They have been doing it, especially now that the ban on campaigns has been lifted. The election is approaching very fast and they are putting much pressure to see that this election does not hold in the south-east political zone.”

“In the South West, we equally have the pro-Yoruba secessionists that are equally bent on succeeding and not allowing elections to take place in their areas, hence the attack on INEC in Osun and Ogun of recent.”

Baba added that some thugs sponsored by failed and desperate politicians are responsible for some of the attacks on INEC facilities.

The police boss added the politicians are bent on stopping INEC from conducting this election, saying that their plans will be neutralized.

He added: “There are other ones that are sponsored by politicians and other stakeholders. There is also an issue of failed and desperate politicians who are bent on stopping INEC from conducting this election.

“The failed politicians are those who could not come back (win election) through any political parties, and as far as they are concerned, ‘let everything spoil, let everything scatter’.

“They are using that opportunity to sponsor illiterate followers of the party and hoodlums to make sure that this general election does not hold and should not be successful.

“On the part of the desperate politicians, they feel that since they cannot stop INEC from taking all these measures (to stop election rigging) let them sponsor hoodlums to make sure that this election should not be a successful exercise.”