The Nigeria Civil Society (NSC) Situation Room has condemned the
abuse of the electoral process by politicians in Saturday’s
supplementary elections in Kano and other states. Mr Clement Nwankwo, Convener of the coalition of over 70 Civil
Society Organisations (CSO), condemned the act in a statement in Abuja.
“The Situation Room is concerned about abuses of the electoral process and the violence that trails it”, Nwankwo said.
“This is inspite of the deployment of top-level police officials,
including a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), three Assistant Inspectors
General and Commissioners of Police.
“In the previous elections, the state commissioners of police took charge without senior level officers”.
Nwankwo said that it was therefore, ironic and curious that the level
of violence and political thuggery would occur with the quantum of
senior police officers deployed.
He said that the situation room had always advocated against redeployment of commissioners of police ahead of elections.
He said that the group was also concerned about reports emanating
from the Kano State supplementary elections that indicated serious
violence.
According to him, that there is extensive use of thugs to perpetrate electoral malpractice, intimidation and violence .
Nwankwo said that the situation room condemned the actions of
political parties in the build up to the supplementary elections and on
election day.
He said that reports received, showed massive deployment of thugs and party agents to polling units.
He said that in Gama ward, Nassarawa Local Governmenta Area, large
number of thugs were seen intimidating voters, observers and even INEC
officials around the polling units, unchecked, despite the presence of
security personnel.
He said there were also incidents of high deployment of un-accredited
party agents to polling units who aided the disruption of the voting
process.
The convener said reports also showed that there were high incidences of vote buying facilitated by thugs and party agents.
He said that the trend was seen particularly in Gama ward, Kano
Nwankwo also said that there were reported cases of attempted inducement of observers with cash.
He recommended that in the light of the widespread violence in the
areas where INEC had conducted supplementary elections in Kano State,
INEC should discountenance the supplementary elections.
This, he said, was especially where violence occurred and the
commission should proceed to make a declaration on the basis of the
polls already concluded.
Nwankwo said that this was because the country would be in no mood to
accept the conduct of another supplementary election on the back of a
supplementary election.