THE police is to deploy at least 24,000 men for the forthcoming election in the state, the state commissioner of police, Hilda Harrison said yesterday.
She spoke as the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, warned against security breaches that could lead to the re-enactment of the 1983 uprising.
Harrison who unfolded the police plan at the signing of the peace accord by the political parties, warned against violence during political campaigns and the tearing of posters by supporters of governorship candidates.
Harrison said: "The governorship election coming up in Ondo State is not going to be a tea party because we would not condone any form of criminality."
Meanwhile, Afeinifere has called for a free, fair and transparent governorship election in the state saying that the ugly incident of 1983 should not be allowed to repeat itself in the state. Speaking with newsmen, in Akure, Afenifere's spokesman, Yinka Odumakin appealed to all players in the election to give peace a chance.
Odumakin said: "All those that are in charge of managing the election and taking decisions in the country should know that Ondo State is so volatile. Remember in 1983, in fact, the Second Republic ended from Ondo State.
So they should ensure that everything goes according to the law so that the people of the state can have confidence in the whole process. Ondo is a sensitive place to do anything that is untoward.
On resuscitation of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Odumakin said: "it is a registered party, there are some people in charge of the certificate; if they feel they want to use the certificate anytime, they are free to use it. Although Afenifere formed it, we have not been part of it for a long time, so, the owners of AD can deploy it as they like."
