Fayose, police chief in verbal war over alleged compromise of poll

Governor Ayo Fayose of  Ekiti State has alleged that Saturday’s governorship election has been largely compromised by personnel  of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The governor,  who addressed newsmen shortly after casting his vote about  1:20 pm  at his Polling Unit 001 in Afao-Ekiti,   alleged  that policemen aided and abetted the  distribution of money to induce voters.
He, however, admitted  that voters turned out massively and conducted themselves in a peaceful manner.
The governor  accused  policemen of  supervising ballot snatching  as well as providing  cover for those reported to be engaged in illegal sharing  of money on  election day.
According to him, all attempts to personally report the alleged cases  to the police  authorities were rebuffed.
“I want to state expressly that the police have hijacked the whole process;  INEC might mean well but the process was tampered  with by the police
” As I  speak, thugs are having a field day snatching ballot boxes under police watch;  this is a national disgrace
“There were cases of not only  ballot snatching, but ballot cleansing and clearing, even  as the police and other officers cooperated by looking the other way,’’ he said.

But  one of the three Police  Commissioners deployed in the state to monitor  the poll, Mr Ali Janga, dismissed the allegations.
He commended  the Independent National Electoral Commission and the electorate for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Janga said most of the allegations  raised by politicians were promptly investigated and  were found to be untrue.
“I have visited some of the  local governments and there was  no electoral manipulation anywhere as being claimed
“People just raise  false alarm by sending distress calls to us, but many of them were found to be false when we got there.
“Election materials were distributed as early as possible and they were guarded by security men and  the turnout was very impressive,’’ he said.