Nigeria Kills Democracy
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Nationwide gubernatorial elections blighted by widespread violence and rigging Labour Party calls for cancellation of results in affected polling units
In a display of shame, Saturday, Nigeria’s gubernatorial and state assemblies elections were ruined by widespread violence and rigging which has led to deaths especially in the commercial capital Lagos. The opposition Labour Party (LP) has called for cancellation of results from affected polling units.
According to numerous news reports, videos, tweets and social media posts which gave a picture of barbarians holding a democratic election. Ballot boxes were snatched, voters intimidated and votes bought by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
Yiaga Africa a civic non profit organisation based in Abuja said that voters were made to hand over their ballot papers to APC agents at the polling units in exchange for cash, food and alcohol. Ezenwa Nwagwu of Yiaga made this known at a press conference Saturday afternoon in Abuja during a situation report.
He said that this involved the deployment of 900 stationary observers to represent a randomly selected sample of 300 polling units for each of the states and 97 roving observers in the three states.
He added that Yiaga Africa deployed 517 stationary observers and 33 roving observers in the other 25 states to observe the governorship elections with roving observers in 609 local government areas to record critical incidents.
“Yiaga Africa received 15 confirmed reports of vote buying across eight states and one in Sarkin Mudu Polling Unit (016) in Giade LGA of Bauchi. PDP agents were sighted bribing accredited voters with N1,000, a wrapper and a pack of spaghetti.”
In Lagos the incumbent APC Governor Jide Sanwoolu vying for a second term whipped up ethnic sentiments pitting Yorubas against Igbos and the party chief enforcer in the state known as MC Oluomo deployed thugs statewide to disrupt the election.
Arise TV reports that APC thugs disrupted the BVAS accreditation exercise at 008 polling unit, Waheed Akanni Street, Isolo Area of Lagos with residents saying that they have been disenfranchised. At the Elegushi Palace Lekki Arise TV crew were attacked with drones and other equipment seized. A cameraman was injured.
Due to the ongoing violence Victoria Garden City (VGC) a plush suburb had to postpone election till Sunday due to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials refusal to enter the estate, choosing to conduct the poll near the main gate, off Lekki-Epe expressway, to the dismay of residents.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports masked thugs on motorbikes armed with sticks and knives, chased away voters at polling units in the Ijegun community school. Some of the voters were forced to jump over the school fence to get to safety.
The affected polling units include 096, 116, 281, 094, 095 and 084.
Most of the voters, including those that had been accredited, were said to have left the polling areas and didn’t return when the thugs left the location.
Police operatives posted to the polling area were quoted as saying they could not control the situation. In Okota another Lagos suburb an APC thug caught with a ballot box was beaten to death by residents.
Julius Abure, LP national chairperson, in a statement on Saturday, asked INEC to conduct fresh polls in areas where voters were attacked.
“The leadership of the Labour Party has watched with trepidation the ongoing rape of democracy in Nigeria as being supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,” the statement read.
“Today, the INEC led by the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has clearly proved to the world that the outcome of the February 25th Presidential Election which denied Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the victory which Nigerians graciously gave him was not a ‘glitch’ as infamously claimed but a well orchestrated plot to favour a particular political party and candidate.
“What transpired today across the nation was a complete sham as serious thuggery, violence and suppression of voters prevailed unchecked. People were prevented from going to vote for candidates of their choice, especially when they perceive you are supporting the opposition party.”
“There were also incidences of ballot snatching, intimidation of voters and high level of vote buying. These electoral crimes were very visible in Rivers, Lagos, Enugu, Edo, Delta and several other states.”
“There was also high level of voter apathy apparently because people have lost faith in the electoral process. They sincerely believe that it was not worth it after what happened on February 25, where the mandate given to the LP was stolen.”
“People believe that their votes will not count anymore. So INEC has succeeded in mismanaging all the gains that we have made in the electoral reforms.”
“The Rivers state government used the state officials to harass voters. In Enugu, one of our supporters was shot and the entire Enugu North senatorial zone was invaded by thugs. In Lagos, the APC sponsored thugs invaded polling units where our candidate has huge supporters. In Edo state, the thugs had a free day, unleashing maximum violence. It is very chaotic across the nation and it is very unfortunate.”
“Security agencies look the other way when there is violence. It is very apparent that even the security agencies are equally compromised. We are very far from true democracy. The wishes and aspirations of the people have been defeated. What we have in Nigeria is civilian dictatorship.”
“We therefore condemn the entire process and called for the cancellation of results from the polling units where voter intimidation and other forms of crisis were witnessed.”
“We also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in the Inspector General of Police to fish out all the officers that have compromised in today’s election and mete appropriate sanctions.” Abure stressed.
Akowe with reports from Abuja
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