… says Buhari’s govt can’t guarantee credible poll next year
A Human rights activist, Comrade Sulaiman Adeniyi, has accused the nation’s security agencies of colluding with some political thugs to attack and maim innocent electorate at the just concluded governorship election in Osun State.
The activist, who observed the election, alleged that combined security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the military watched as thugs attacked and prevented citizens from exercising their
franchise.
Instead of stop them, Adeniyi claimed that the security agents joined the hoodlums in intimidating and manhandling voters, accredited journalists and observers.
Reports of interference, intimidation, and attacks had marred the governorship rerun held on September 27, 2018 in seven polling units, out of the four wards, including Ife North, Ife South, Orolu and Osogbo local government areas.
Adeniyi, in a chat with our correspondent in Osogbo, said the development had jeopardised the nation’s democracy.
Commenting on the 58th independence anniversary of the nation, the activist declared, “This anniversary called for a sober reflection over the ugly conduct of last Thursday’s governorship rerun election in Osun State.”
He said that Nigeria’s democracy vis a vis the 2019 general elections were under serious threat with the manner security agents appeared to be aiding a political party to maim citizens.
Condemning further the attitude of the security agents during the rerun election, Adeniyi said the operatives threw caution and professionalism to the wind.
According to him, “The political thugs of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were able to have a field day without being checkmated because security agents had been bought over. This is a serious threat to the continuous existence of the entity called Nigeria.
“These APC political thugs were being watched by security agents as they maimed, harassed and even killed the members of the opposition political parties in the state. Instead of rescuing these innocent voters, these security agents were seen chasing voters away and attacking them.
“Taking a critical appraisal of Nigeria as an Independent country at 58, the recent Osun rerun gubernatorial election fell short of a free, fair and credible election in Nigeria’s political space.”
The activist further said that with what that obtained in Osun State, the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, was not capable of ensuring that free, fair, credible and acceptable elections would be conducted next year.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has proved beyond reasonable doubt that his government could not oversee free, fair, credible and acceptable general elections in 2019,” he said.
He argued that the recently conducted governorship rerun election in Osun State signaled danger for the nation’s democracy, describing the rerun election as a charade and sham, which should not be allowed to stand by all lovers of democracy.
According to him, “The conduct of the security agents during the rerun guber poll was shameful. As a Rights Activist and indigene of Osun State, we would not keep quiet in the face of maiming, killing and harassment of our people when they wanted to perform their civic responsibility of choosing a leader of their choice as being stipulated by the electoral laws and guidelines.
“This subversion of the electoral will of the masses in the state should be reversed with immediate effect. The 2018 Osun guber rerun election should be totally condemned by all lovers of democracy across the country and we would not allow the day light electoral robbery to stand so as to avoid being laid bad precedence in our political
life.”
Adeniyi, who is the Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, disclosed that Nigeria as a democratic nation was still crawling in its
entirety.
He called on Nigerians to continue to pray for her unity and progress, adding that the bane of leadership was still affecting the development of the country.
The activist, therefore, called on the masses to rise and defend the nation’s hard earned democracy as the country moved closer to the 2019 general elections.
his subversion of the electoral will of the masses in Osun should be reversed
