As different states across the country embark on Local Government Council and off-season elections, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Bayelsa Command, Francis Alonyenu, has cautioned politicians and their supporters that election is not war.

Alonyenu gave the caution during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Monday. The CP said it was unfortunate that during elections, politicians tend to create security breaches in attempts to achieve their electoral goals.

He said such attempts also make it difficult to guarantee Nigerians’ right to choose their leaders. He said it was against this background that the police command in Bayelsa did its best to ensure that the last governorship election in the state was devoid of violence as the electoral wishes of the people of the state prevailed.

He said he was glad that personnel of the command conducted themselves in the best professional manner which helped to facilitate the peaceful nature of the election. The commissioner said his command had continued to maintain the peace that characterised the election even in the post-election management dispensation.

According to him, the main function of the police is to regulate social harmony by ensuring the absence of disruptions. He recalled that in the build-up to the November governorship election in Bayelsa, issues around the election were boiling, adding that through professionalism the personnel of the command were able to ensure that it was brought under control.

Alonyenu said the command achieved that through interaction with community-based organisations and other social interest groups, the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress, among other stakeholders.

He said the police was able to extract from the groups, the commitment that Bayelsa belongs to all of them and that they would not undertake actions that would undermine its peace and growth.