Kano re-run a big shame to democracy in Nigeria—CSOs

Kano Civil Society Forum, an umbrella body of over 150 affiliated CSOs, has faulted the just concluded supplementary election in the state, describing it as barbaric and shameful to Nigeria’s 20 years of democratic experience. The forum, in a statement jointly signed by its President and Secretary General, Comrades Ibrahim A. Waiya and Peter Hassan […]

Kano Civil Society Forum, an umbrella body of over 150 affiliated CSOs, has faulted the just concluded supplementary election in the state, describing it as barbaric and shameful to Nigeria’s 20 years of democratic experience.

The forum, in a statement jointly signed by its President and Secretary General, Comrades Ibrahim A. Waiya and Peter Hassan Tijjani respectively claimed that the entire process was characterized by widespread violence, thugery, voter intimidation and killings.

According to the forum “The Nigerian Democracy is gradually migrating to a barbaric form of political leadership where physical might and use of coercion, fear and intimidation have become the determinant factors of acquiring political leadership, rather than the popular votes.

“What we, as civil society organizations, witnessed during our election observation at some polling units, across the state, could rather be described as a war between two long aged enemies, but not a political contest which is run on some laid down rules.

It could be recalled that results of March 9th elections in some of the polling units that participated in the March 23rd rerun were cancelled by the electoral body on the basis of some observed electoral irregularities bothering on thuggery, violence and voter intimidation among many other factors, the supplementary election last Saturday however witnessed widespread violence and voter intimidation in almost all the polling units that participated in the poll across the 29 local government areas.

The CSOs accused the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromising their neutrality during the exercise, urging the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the actions of personnel deployed to the state for the supplementary election with a view to ascertain their involvement or otherwise in the security breach that characterized the exercise.

“Elections, as an exercise which is designed to allow people to freely participate, under the watch of some constitutional bodies, who are ultimately assumed to be impartial and neutral umpires, but unfortunately, acted with blatant bias and sentimental tendencies.

“The Kano civil society forum, having observed the conduct of the supplementary elections in Kano have therefore with no apology, faulted the entire exercise and its credibility, on the basis of a serious security breaches, widespread political violence and thugery, voters intimidation, killings as well as maimings, and unhealthy inducement of voters.

“From what we saw and witnessed at the Kano State Governorship supplementary election, was a total sham and a disgrace to Democracy, a disappointment to the proponents of democracy and Nigeria, as a whole.

“Based on our observation, the 23rd Governorship supplementary elections in Kano State, was the most dreadful elections ever conducted, an election which witnessed the importation of alien political thugs, who were contracted with the sole aim to harass and unleash violence against the Kano electorates, in almost all the polling units, this is unacceptable” the forum emphasised.