… warns politicians of likely visa restrictions if..

… caught violating electoral laws

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A coalition of INEC accredited CSOs under the platform of Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness on Friday warned politicians, security operatives against truncating democracy as Edo Guber draws close.

Addressing a press conference alongside other CSOs, Director General of INEC recognized organisations, Dr Gabriel Nwambu noted that:

“It is exactly 36 days to the Edo state governorship election. As part of our mandate, we observe the pre-election, election and post election activities. We also observe the conduct of the Election Management Body (EMB), the conduct of the Police, which is the lead agency in charge of internal security, the NSCDC, the Military and all the security agencies of government deployed to the field to ascertain if their conduct is consistent with the extant laws and the provisions of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigerian.

“First and foremost, we emphasize the importance of impartiality and neutrality from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It is crucial that all eligible electorates, including those who registered during the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise, are issued Permanent Voters Cards promptly. INEC’s commitment to fairness and transparency in the electoral process is a fundamental requirement for the success of the election on the 21st of September.

“Secondly, we call upon the law enforcement agencies, including the police, the DSS, the NSCDC, and the military, to refrain from harassing law-abiding Nigerians who carry out legitimate election duties in Edo state, including electorates and members of all registered political parties in Edo state irrespective of whether they are opposition political parties or the ruling party.

Nwambu explained that: “Their role should be to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the electoral process, without fear or favor in line with the established rules of engagement.

“The Judiciary is brought to perspective here. We have observed with dismay the fragrant abuse of court processes with conflicting court orders being issued indiscriminately. We urge the Judiciary to uphold the principles of equity, fairness, and justice, and to resist any attempt by desperate politicians to manipulate the system or truncate the wish of Edo people. The judiciary must remain independent and vigilant in its pursuit of justice, free from any external influences especially by desperate politicians.

“Disturbingly, we have become aware of plans by some disgruntled individuals to use security agencies to manipulate and rig the elections. This is unacceptable, and we call upon all relevant authorities to investigate, arrest and prosecute the intending perpetrators of such crimes. This would mitigate the occurrence of such actions on election day.

“Furthermore, we denounce any plot to arrest or detain individuals on baseless, fiction, and unfounded grounds, with the intention of keeping them away from the election environment until after the 21st of September 2024. Such actions are not only against our laws, but they consistently portray Nigeria as a laughing stock before the league of nations especially as foreign election observers are also accredited to observe our electoral processes. Such actions also contradict the principles of democracy and the right of citizens to participate in the electoral process.

“Voter inducement, including the buying and selling of votes, is an issue that needs to be tackled head-on. With the increasing poverty level in Nigeria, this has become a common feature in most elections. Perpetrators of such practices should be swiftly arrested and brought to justice.

“Additionally, it is crucial that the public witnesses the prosecution of these offenders to demonstrate a commitment to preserving the integrity of the electoral system. This would also serve as a deterrent to individuals who intend to perpetrate such crimes in the future.

“We also condemn the recruitment of youths for election thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, engaging in electoral related violence and any other actions that aim to manipulate election results.
As a coalition of rights organizations, we remain firm to ensuring that things are done right to reflect the wishes of Edo electorates in the coming election, hence, we will not hesitate to reach out to the US, the EU, Canadian Embassies and all known embassies in Nigeria, urging them to impose visa restrictions on these politicians, erring agents of state, electoral offenders and their families globally.

“To ensure a smooth electoral process, we call upon the network service providers, such as MTN, Glo Mobile, and Airtel, to ensure uninterrupted service in Edo state throughout the duration of the election.

“They must refrain from any form of sabotage that could hinder the effectiveness and proper function of the BVAS, an Android technology deployed by INEC for the authentication and accreditation of eligible electorates in Edo state. The transmission of election results from the FORM EC8A series should not be hampered including the viewing of election results in the INEC viewing portal online and real-time.

“In conclusion, we appeal to all stakeholders, including INEC, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and network service providers, to play by the rules set forth in the 1999 Constitution as amended, as well as the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. It is only through the collective adherence to these principles that we can ensure a free, fair, and credible governorship election in Edo state.
We believe that a new Nigeria is possible.