It’s Time To Reclaim Nigeria’s Democracy -YAIGA AFRICA Tells Political Stakeholders
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – A Civil Society Organisation on the aegis of YIAGA AFRICA, Watching The Vote (WTV), has challenged stakeholders in the political arena in Nigeria to as a matter of national importance reclaim the country’s democracy by demanding accountability against all state and non-state actors whose acts are undermining the electoral processes in the country.
Chair, of the Working Group of YIAGA AFRICA, Watching The Vote (WTV), Dr Hussaini Abdu, who threw the challenge in Abuja on Sunday at a Press Conference on the group’s observation of the supplementary elections in Abuja, said Nigeria cannot and must not continue to condone the brazen disregard for law and order by some political actors.
He further said; “As a country determined to make progress, electoral impunity must be checkmated else it will imperil our 20 year old democracy.”
Abdu noted that the level of impunity observed in the supplementary elections was an indication of democratic recession in Nigeria, adding that political thugs unleashed violence and terror on unarmed voters, INEC officials and citizens without any form of restraint or reprimand from security agencies deployed for the elections.
He observed that non-compliance with electoral guidelines, intimidation of voters and observers, violence and voter suppression impeded on the integrity of the election in some states.
The Supplementary elections were held in five states namely; Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau, Sokoto and five area councils in the FCT.
The group expressed serious concerns over violence, intimidation, voter suppression and other irregularities that took place during the polls, stressing that several electoral offences were observed and reported by WTV observers and other domestic and international observer groups.
YIAGA AFRICA therefore urged the Independent National Electorl Commission (INEC), and Nigeria police to properly investigate cases of infractions and ensure diligent prosecution of electoral offenders.
Abdu said that the incidences of this nature, questioned the effectiveness of massive security deployment for elections.
He also said that in the pre-election period, YIAGA AFRICA observed voter inducement by political actors in locations considered to be swing wards and polling units.
He said Election Observers also note with concern the lack of clarity on the application of the margin of lead principle in supplementary elections, adding that the regulations and guidelines for the election was silent on the appropriate action to be taken where cancelled votes in a supplementary was higher than the margin of lead.
YIAGA AFRICA therefore asked INEC to give clarification on the issue with reference to legal stipulations or judicial precedent.
