Police place Ogun political parties under security watch

 by Segun Olatunji, Abeokuta

Following the recent spate of intra-party violence among members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Okoye Ikemefuma, on Tuesday read the Riot Act to all political parties in the state.
The warning by the police to the political parties in the state came few hours to the commencement of the membership registration exercise of the APC.
Ikemefuna, who gave the warning at a meeting with their leaders in the state, urged them to shun acts capable of truncating the ongoing  electioneering process and the prevailing peace in the state.
The police commissioner said it had become imperative for all the stakeholders, particularly the politicians to abide by the electoral laws in order to escape its wrath.
He disclosed that the state police command had already put the political parties under security watch.
Ikemefuna added that measures had already been put in place to monitor the activities of the political parties to ensure that they conformed to the electoral laws.
“Be guided that security machinery has been put in place to monitor all activities of political parties in the state.
“We will ensure that the needful is done to check any negative political occurrence and curb same in line with the provisions of all statutory laws  relating to the general elections,” he said.
The Ogun police boss reminded the party leaders that the ban on political campaigns was still in force.
He therefore urged the political parties not to organise political rallies until the ban was lifted.
Ikemefuna however enjoined them to officially notify the command of other necessary political activities they might want to organise to enable the police to provide adequate security at such events.
”Please be reminded that such letters of notification of activities you may wish to organise must be addressed to the commissioner of police in charge of the state,” he said.
The state chairman of the Citizens Popular Party, Mr Belawu Jimoh commended the police boss for the initiative, pledging the support of his members for the ongoing peace arrangement.
But the state secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, expressed concern over what he described as a “worrisome development” in the ruling APC in the state.
Sodipo expressed fears that the internal crisis rocking the APC resulted in the use of dangerous weapons among its members in some parts of the state.
The APC State Interim Organising Secretary, Wole Adesiji, commended the police boss for the peace in the state and assured the command that APC would conform to the rules.