The National Chairman of African Democratic Congress, Ralph Nwosu, has condemned the manner in which security agencies in the co.untry are being deployed during elections.
Nwosu, in a chat with our correspondent, said electoral process in Nigeria has become worrisome in recent time with security agencies being used to rig elections indirectly through inducement and manipulation, mostly by incumbent administrations.
“The way incumbent governments use government agencies and the security services is worrisome. In the various repeat elections in River State and the governorship in Ekiti, the electoral environment was like a war theatre on one hand, and Independent National Electoral Commission looked biased with the intention to deliver a scripted agenda. This is the most bizarre aspect of electoral corruption.
“Men and women in government agencies no longer bother about due diligence and best practices. Our security forces are used for renegade jobs by elected officials and the officers and men become victims of low morale. Security of lives and property become compromised as a result,” Nwosu lamented.
He also called on the government to rise and do the needful, warning that the spate of electoral abuse with the use of security forces may degenerate into another security challenge in the future.
“Boko Haram that has today devoured parts of the country started as political cult groups (allegedly) sponsored by the governors of the North East. This has become a money guzzling, life-sapping, danger zone of the nation and has led to the area becoming home to the largest Internally Displaced People’s camps in the world in a peace time. Boko Haram and the security challenges it poses have made Nigeria one of the most embarrassing security and intelligence discourse in the global circuit. Ridiculous isn’t it? Any nation that fails in its responsibilities towards civil order risks the most catastrophic civil disorder sooner or later, “ he
added.
Nwosu also warned INEC not to stoop so low to the level of conniving with political parties against the national interest.
“INEC is not spared in this case, because they have been accused of colluding with interested parties to achieve a scripted agenda. This is not good for this nation. They must change for good,“ the ADC chairman said.
He, however, averred his party was ready to ensure that the challenges of electoral malpractices are curtailed in the country before the general
elections.
“I do expect that our motives may be challenged in ADC. But we in ADC care less. With a clear conscience, patriotic zeal, commitment to authentic leadership, and democratic and nation-building methods, we shall not allow ourselves to be bogged down by politicians that have failed our nation,”
he stated.
