21032019 - PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression — APC

Outrage over alleged militarisation of 2019 elections
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in Rivers State in particular, saying that it does
not bode well for democratic process as it would
affect the ability of INEC staff to conduct an
impartial election.
On its own part, the umbrella body of
opposition parties in Nigeria, the Conference
of United Political Parties, CUPP, pointedly
accused the APC-led Federal Government and
the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai,
of using the militarisation of the electoral
process to reintroduce military rule in the
country. In a statement issued by its national
spokesperson, Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the
coalition said: “We condemn in unequivocal
terms President Muhammadu Buhari and his
Chief of Army Staff’s attempt to overthrow the
electoral process in Rivers State with APC
thugs and security agents.
“We hereby say without mincing words that
the undemocratic activities of the military and
other security agencies in Rivers State are
tantamount to treasonable felony and should
be viewed and treated that way.”
Some other observers prefer to trace the
excesses of the soldiers deployed to elections
duty to a comment credited to President
Muhammadu Buhari where he ordered
security to shoot those who dared to snatch
ballot boxes during the elections. Speaking
during an emergency meeting of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja, shortly
after elections were postponed by INEC, the
President was quoted as saying: “Anybody who
decides to snatch (ballot) boxes or use thugs
to disturb it - maybe this will be the last unlawful
action he will take”, adding that anyone who
tried to interfere with the elections would be
doing so “at the expense of his life”. It was an
ordered PDP spokesperson, Kola
Ologbondiyan likened to ''a license to kill".
Ironically, the heavy presence of soldiers
during the elections did not deter thugs and
other undesirable elements from running wild
in many places where they unleashed violence
with impunity. This was the observation of
the CDD in its own assessment of the elections.
It specifically decried what it described as the
weaponisation of the entire process which
aided the harassment, intimidation and assault
of election officials, observers, journalists and
voters. According to a report signed by its
chairman, CDD-EAC, Prof. Adele Jinadu and
CDD Director Idayat Hassan:
“The weaponisation of the election and
abductions of INEC staff and the ad-hoc staff
is worrisome and constitutes a drawback to
the progress we have made so far. INEC
officials were kidnapped and later released in
Benue, Katsina, Kogi, Imo, Akwa Ibom and
Rivers during voting and collation of results,
with Katsina alone recording 20 cases of
abductions.”
“We reckon that these attempts are aimed at
undermining the system usually to favour the
perpetrators. Our monitors on the ground did
not only report cases of intimidation but were
victims, too. One of our observers was arrested
by soldiers in the Mile 2 area of Lagos on his
•Securitymen at one of the INEC's election collation centres
way to cover the protest over non-payment of
allowances by ad-hoc staff. Political thugs slapped
and abducted our observer in at PU 2 Afaha Nsit
ward of Akwa Ibom and later requested a
ransom.
“Our observer was abducted by political thugs
for reporting and sharing photos and permanent
voter’s card of underaged voters in Polling Unit
15, Ward 04 of Shendam local government area
of Plateau state. He was later released. In a related
incident, a politician slapped a BBC journalist in
Lagos in a brazen show of power”.
It would also be recalled that two civil society
groups, the Save Democracy Women and Impact
Future Nigeria had on March 6, staged a protest
against the militarisation of the 2019 elections,
beginning with the Presidential and National
Assembly elections of February 23. The protesters
said they could not understand why troops were
deployed for elections which ordinarily should
be regarded as a purely civil engagement. The
protest obviously failed to achieve its purpose as
the governorship and state houses of assembly
Our observer was
abducted by
political thugs for
reporting and
sharing photos and
permanent voter’s
card of underaged
voters in Polling
Unit 15, Ward 04 of
Shendam local
government area of
Plateau state
elections that
followed on March
9 turned out to be
more militarised,
with arm-wielding
soldiers holding
sway in different
parts of the country,
especially Rivers
State.
However, in its
own defence, the
military, especially
the Nigerian Army,
has continued to
maintain that its
men performed
creditably during
the elections in line
with the rules of engagement which define their
conduct. According to Colonel Onyema
Nwachukwu, Acting Director of Defence
Information, DDI, the military’s role in election
is contained in Section 271 of the 1999
Constitution which stipulates that the military can
be deployed to “assist the police in maintenance
of law and order during elections”. He did not
stop there.
“In carrying out this onerous task, the Armed
Forces of Nigeria is guided by the code of
conduct and rules of engagement that have been
provided for military personnel deployed to
maintain security during elections. We assure
Nigerians that in tandem with our mandate, we
will continue to complement and support the
efforts of the Nigeria Police in ensuring that all
abiding citizens of this nation and members of
the international community go about their
legitimate duties and obligations in an
environment devoid of violence and insecurity.”
Also reacting in defence of the military,
especially with regards to the deep concern
expressed by the British High Commission in
Nigeria over the overbearing, partisan
involvement of troops in the elections , the Army
had through its acting Director of Public Relations,
Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019—23
Col. Sagir Musa, described as baseless
allegations that its men compromised the
integrity of the elections in Rivers and some
other states. He reiterated the neutrality of
the Army during the elections, while
accusing politicians of confusing members
of the public by giving military uniforms to
hoodlums to perpetrate violence during the
elections.
According to Col. Musa: “Foreign
interests are enjoined to be mindful of
interfering in our national internal affairs,
especially when there is no credible
evidence. Any allegation against the NA
must be confirmed from appropriate
quarters before jumping to conclusions.
“The NA, as a responsible organisation,
wishes to debunk such misrepresentation
in order to set the record straight. Similarly,
it is on record that the NA has been globally
applauded by many individuals, foreign
and local elections observers, for its
sacrifices/roles in creating an enabling
environment for a secure, transparent and
peaceful conduct of the elections.”
The Nigerian Army has since set up a
nine-member committee to investigate all
allegations of misconduct against its
personnel during the last general elections.
Although mixed reactions presently trail the
announcement, the PDP in Rivers State see
it as a welcome development and hoped
that it would successfully probe all the
allegations of misconduct, including the
assassination attempt on the state governor,
Nyesom Wike, by soldiers
According to the state chairman of the
party, Felix Obuah: “We wish to assure the
Chief of Army Staff that the PDP will appear,
present and prove before the committee with
facts and evidence, the atrocities committed
by his soldiers against the electoral process
and the people of Rivers State before,
during and after the 2019 general elections.
Abduction of
electoral officers
“In the same vein, we wish to call on the
acting Inspector General of Police, Mr.
Abubakar Mohammed Adamu to institute
a similar panel to probe the brazen
involvement of the Rivers State Commander
of F-SARS, Mr. Akin Fakorode and his
gang of police operatives in the organised
invasion of polling units, collation centres,
abduction of electoral officers and the
shooting and killing of innocent persons
during the general elections at Khana,
Gokana, Ikwerre, Eleme, Tai, Oyigbo and
Ogu/Bolo local councils”.
But some other observers are not
particularly impressed with the setting up
of the probe committee which they see as a
mere smokescreen to hoodwink
undiscerning Nigerians on the alleged
despicable use of soldiers to deepen
political partisanship within the rank and
file of the Nigerian Army. It would be
recalled that the Nigerian Army had in
October 2015, set up a Board of Inquiry
with a mandate to investigate alleged
malpractices and involvement of its
personnel in Ekiti and Osun states during
the 2014 gubernatorial elections. It went
further to inform thus: “The essence of the
investigation is to prevent future
unprofessional conduct by officers and men
in the performance of constitutional roles.
It is also to strengthen Nigerian Army’s
support to democratic values and structures
in Nigeria”.
It remains to be seen what the ninemember
committee will come up with. But
while Nigerians await its investigation and
report, several opinion leaders contacted
by Vanguard to speak on the contentious
issue of the militarisation of the 2019
elections have since submitted their
verdicts. They are published as part of this
report.