The Presidency has reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment
that anyone who dares to snatch ballot boxes during next weekend’s
elections will be doing this for the last time, saying it should be seen
as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated
with elections in the country.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on Monday, presidential
spokesperson, Garba Shehu, recalled some past elections in parts of
Nigeria, during which innocent voters lost their lives while ballot
boxes were being snatched by armed thugs.
“Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent
Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an
election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the
gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers. Their
modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando
style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes
leaving a trail of death and injury,” Shehu said.According to him, “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent
citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections, must be prepared
for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security
agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill
and maim.”
He added that President Buhari had the safety and security of
Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment, and should be
praised rather than criticised for issuing this stern warning to
potential ballot box snatchers.
Shehu further expressed concern about those attacking the president’s
comment, and their worry over the fate of anyone caught snatching
ballot boxes.
“This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP who have perfected plans to rig the elections and
to snatch ballot boxes. They can tell that President Buhari is not
prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid.
They have shown their intent,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson noted that no one had anything to fear
from the President’s comments if their conscience and intentions are
clear. “Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry
about anything,” he said.