Edo Governorship Election: Coalition of CSOs warns against plot to rig poll

By Nnamdi Okosieme

A coalition of civil society organizations under the aegis of the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness(CCLCA) has alerted Nigerians of plans by unnamed individuals to rig the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

The group, which made this disclosure on Friday at a Press Conference in Abuja, said it was unacceptable and should be nipped in the bud.

Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, Director General of CCLCA, who addressed the briefing on behalf of the coalition, said:

“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.

Dr. Nwambu called on 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. He said the role of security operatives should be to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the electoral process, without fear or favour in line with established rules of engagement.

The CCLCA DG who said part of the mandate of the Centre is to observe pre-election, election and post election activities, said it is also part of its brief to observe the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Nigeria’s election management body, 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.

He said it was important for INEC to exhibit impartiality and neutrality. He added that 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.

Going further, Dr. Nwambu said a key ingredient for the successful conclusion of elections in Nigeria is an impartial and responsible judiciary. He said:

“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”.

The CCLCA DG admonished politicians to play by the rules of the game rather than seek shortcuts, which only serve to instigate conflict and violence.

He urged authorities to specifically ensure that unsavoury practices such as voter-inducement do not form part of Edo governorship election holding next month.

“Voters 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”, Dr. Nwambu said.

He added that to ensure a smooth electoral process in the September election, network service providers, such as MTN, Glo Mobile, and Airtel, should ensure uninterrupted service in Edo State throughout the duration of the election. He said 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”, Dr Nwambu stated.