Ondo PDP, APC leaders shun police peace parley

Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of Zone 11, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, and Ondo State Police Commissioner, Mr Isaac Eke, were disappointed on Tuesday as majority of the stakeholders they invited to a peace parley in Akure shunned the meeting.
The meeting was called by the state police command to ensure that politicians do not heat up the state in the build up to the March 28 and April 11 general elections.
Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Chairman of the state Council of Obas, the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Adesimbo Kiladejo, the General Officer Commanding 323 Artillery Brigade, President of Market Women Association, Chief Juliana Ogunsusi, the Iyaloja General, Chief Ruth Olowookere, and others were conspicuously absent.
Okoye blamed the development on the shift of the election date from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11.
Okoye said the meeting among the major political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders had been fixed long before the postponement, hence the low turn out.
He, however, said he was not disappointed by the attitude of the politicians that did not turn out for the parley as the meeting would be rescheduled to ensure broader participation by relevant stakeholders.
Eke said as the core agency saddled with internal security responsibility, it behooves on the command to champion the stakeholders’ meeting in ensuring peaceful, credible, fair and violence-free election.
The police commissioner assured that adequate security would be provided for INEC staff, materials, ad-hoc staff, party agents, electorate and election observers before, during and after the election.