PRESIDENT BUHARI AND HIS DEATH SENTENCE ORDER ON BALLOT BOX SNATCHERS.

The postponement of the 2019 general elections originally scheduled to hold on the 16^th of February, 2019, has added another feather to its dynamism. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the elections with one week, which is now to hold on the 23^rd of the same month of February. The events that had filtered in to the polity within this one week of postponement had been better imagined. There had been series of condemnation of the Electoral Body over the postponement. The leading political parties in the election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been trading blames over who instigated the shift in polls. The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole even swore with the Holy Koran when he accused the INEC of colluding with the PDP before the election was postponed. This was to say that INEC was working in favour of the opposition party to win the general elections. INEC has denied this allegation flatly, and only cited logistics as the main reason for the postponement.

But in another twist, while the political parties have been re-strategizing, holding caucuses meetings, executive meetings and whatnots, to perfect their plans for the forthcoming 23^rd February polls, the APC obviously held theirs with the expected massive attendance of party stalwarts and stakeholders. In the meeting, the presidential candidate of the party, and the incumbent Executive President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari gave a deadly order to the Army, Police and other security agencies to summarily terminate the lives of ballot box snatchers during the 23^rd February, 2019 elections. This order was given, primarily and possibly to drum sanity into the electoral system by meeting deliberate criminality with brute force. While this may appear to be a quick and decisive solution to such criminal act, there are a lot of implications of such a weighty statement coming from the Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Armed Forces. Expectedly, the Army and the Police have issued separate statements that they will follow the order of their Commander to the letter.

The issues that bother on this order are numerous. There is an electoral provision to deal with such criminalities. A convicted ballot-snatcher faces a two-year jail term or the fine of Five Hundred Thousand Naira or both – but never a death sentence. But again, such provisions were hardly adhered to. Ballot-snatching had unfortunately become part of our electoral process. There was an instance were ballot snatchers summarily executed twenty-six innocent voters in the course of snatching ballot boxes as stated by the presidential spokesman, Garuba Shehu when he was defending the statement of his Boss on the execution order. The Death sentence may be in order to find a more telling action to forestall the re-occurrence of that dastardly act. Arguably, if the security operatives were at alert to their responsibilities, such criminals would not have had a field day perpetrating their crimes where elections were taking place. There might be probable connivance with the security operatives at that instance of the committance of such crime.

Without recourse to any doubtful disputations, we have heard several instances of extra-judicial killings in Nigeria, particularly by the Nigerian Police, at the slightest provocation which they generally blame on “accidental discharge”. We have heard of instances where lives were sniffed out of innocent Nigerians because they refused to part with as low as twenty Nigerian Naira bribe. The attitude of the police particularly, to the Nigerian populace is at best very appalling and horribly unfriendly. The call of President Buhari for summary termination of lives by the Security forces may not be taken with discretion by these forces. This directive will further exacerbate the already tensed political atmosphere and the volatile security situation already been witnessed in the country. If the Police, for instance, which does not seem to know the simple ethos of weapon- handling, are now given this terse charge by the President, it might be a way of possible vendetta to those who had looked for an opportunity to deal with a private enemy, now using the cloak of ballot box snatching as a guise. I can assure Mr. President that some hypocrites might even love to kill for the joy of it to ensure that they actually ‘carried out’ the presidential directive, where and when it is actually needless to do so Certainly, lives will be lost because an ordinary argument in the polling centre could be misread to be ballot-box snatching attempt by overtly overzealous security operatives. I exercise utmost fear that perhaps the security agents may have hidden sympathy for a political party, then this order becomes leverage to get rid of their political opponents.

Much as the President takes it as sole responsibility for his government to conduct a free, fair and credible election, he would have taken cognizance of the kind of security forces he was giving such costly order to. My main concern is the Nigeria Police. The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Muhammed Adamu should as a matter of urgency train his men of all the hierarchy and categories interpret and emphasize to them the good intention of the President. The president is not looking for corpses to justify his statement. He only meant that there should be sanity, security and decorum in the discharge of our civic responsibilities on the election days. Elections can actually hold without anyone dying or being shot. The security Agencies are to provide SECURITY to all. I believe that is the crux of the President’s directive to the Security operatives.

Those who had perfected plans to snatch ballot boxes on the election days should have a rethink and kill that thought right away. If you dare the statement of the President, you may not truly be alive to seek justice or seek for redress - trust our security operatives!. It is a condemnable act to snatch boxes during elections. If your candidate is popular enough, he will win without getting into any forms of criminality. All those hired to perpetuate this nefarious act should know that neither the President nor the Security Agents are joking. Be wise!

INEC AND THE ELECTION POSTPONEMENT OF 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

The postponement of the general elections scheduled to hold today, 16^th of February 2019 has taken most Nigerians in a shock. Many have prepared for the elections. Everyone has been fully mobilized. Many schools both of the government and the private Schools have been shut down since on Wednesday as part of the preparations for the elections, basically to ensure the safety of students and workers in the schools alike. The President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari had made a national broadcast assuring the preparedness of the country and even of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its readiness for the election.  Everything appeared set for the exercise. The international observers have also been fully mobilized. Peace Accord has been signed by all the presidential aspirants. The Nigerian Police has declared restriction of movements from 6am to 6pm today for the elections.

Like a thunderbolt from the blues, in spite of all assurances and preparedness, the Electoral Body suddenly began to meet late on Friday 15^th February and coming up with a decision culminating in the postponement of the election with one week. Though this is not the first time general elections are postponed in Nigeria, but that should not be a norm when it is avoidable.

In the build-up to the 2019 general elections, various instances of violence have been recorded in several parts of the country. For instance, some few days ago the lives of sixty-six innocent Nigerians were sent to their early graves by unknown gun men in Kaduna State. In Anambra and Imo States, INEC materials have been reportedly set ablaze. This includes the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and Card Readers. These are sensitive electoral materials.  There were other incidences of arson particularly of INEC materials. iNEC offices have suddenly turned to a harmattan zone where fire burns freely.

Earlier, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm that some powerful forces are colluding with some other enemies of Nigeria to ensure that the elections are scuttled, likely paving way for an interim government. But I say the wishes of the evil people will never come to pass in Nigeria. Nigeria is bigger than any individual or a group. Nigeria is greater than any part of the country.

Much as I personally condemn the postponement in its entirety because I expected that INEC Research Team should have been able to figure out some of the possibilities for the eventual postponement, they may still have convincing points for the postponement. They cited logistics reasons for the postponement.  I wish to suggest to the electoral body to put all factors into consideration to ensure the full success of the February 23, general elections.

At present, there is mutual suspicion between the leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC ) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party( PDP). There is apprehension in the entire country, probable higher level of violence than before the postponement o the election. There might be more ruthlessness by political thugs as they may be used by politicians to ensure victory by all means. The Security of the nation should be stepped more than ever before.  But in all these Nigerian must survive.

In all, INEC must be fully responsible for whatever becomes the outcome of these elections, because all necessary support by the government, NGOs, international Community were given to this Body. Then why the sudden postponement?