Retract Your Statement on Ballot Box Snatching, CISLAC Tells Buhari

 

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) on Tuesday expressed shock at the recent statement by President Muhammadu Buhari on ballot-box snatchers which the group said has the potential of emboldening trigger-happy security agents to take the law into their hands.

The Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim, in a statement made available to the media expressed surprise at the statements, noting that it could be a ‘potential execution order’ from the president, not minding the present uncertainty that dominates the tension-soaked political atmosphere in the country.

Ibrahim stated that they are concerned that the order, if not retracted, has the potential of breeding extra judicial killings, civil disobedience or disrupt law and order as well as gross killings of innocent Nigerians who would be taking part in the rescheduled February 23 polls.

The statement further noted that the group work to uphold democracy and good governance in the country, so they are also at liberty to remind the president that the primary purpose of government is to promote “protect and secure human rights and freedom as contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.”

Ibrahim in the statement further noted that they must reiterate the importance of right to life as a fundamental part of human rights, adding that citizens must be alive to pursue its justifiability.

According to the statement, “We are not unaware that Section 128 of the Electoral Act states that “any person who at an election acts or incites others to act in a disorderly manner commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N500, 000.00 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both and specifically states that anyone who destroys or snatches election material is liable to imprisonment for 24 months. Nowhere is capital punishment prescribed as a penalty for any electoral offence in Nigeria.

“With the elections having been postponed by a week, to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sort out logistics and other issues it claimed made them not to go ahead with the elections as scheduled for February 16, we expect nothing but statesman-like attitude from the president with sincere commitment to ensure the process is free, fair, credible and non-violent. The statement was indeed un-presidential and not good for the evolution of our peaceful democratic process.

“We also recall that the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufai, had in a statement recently threatened international observers who ‘interfere’ with the 2019 elections with death and bagging them in body bags’. This shows a scant respect for human rights. Such utterances, actions and comments are unfortunate, particularly coming from those considered to be statesmen.”