Kogi guber race: INEC, Army, Police be at alert

Professor Jega, who expressed this  concern  recently during a Radio Nigeria, Kaduna  Hausa phone-in-programme,  Hannu Da Yawa, was apprehensive that events predating the conduct of the polls is sending unpleasant signals that the exercise could be turned into another battle ground among the political contenders. In Jega’s words:  “As the Kogi governorship election  scheduled  for […]

Professor Jega, who expressed this  concern  recently during a Radio Nigeria, Kaduna  Hausa phone-in-programme,  Hannu Da Yawa, was apprehensive that events predating the conduct of the polls is sending unpleasant signals that the exercise could be turned into another battle ground among the political contenders.

In Jega’s words:  “As the Kogi governorship election  scheduled  for next December approaches, there are signals indicating that the era of  do-or-die politics is re-emerging  within the political class.”

Jega agreed that  although  many more things  were  needed  to be done to further improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria, the most urgent  is that “Nigerians’ attitude to politics must change from the current one of regarding it as a financial investment requiring a do-or-die approach.”

He added, “many things have been done by the Commission since last year to improve election conduct, but the do-or-die attitude of politicians and some of their supporters impede the attainment of some of the objectives.”

Although Jega cited other states in Nigeria where politics is particularly hot, which according to him, makes the work of election officials particularly challenging, he named the states to include, Kogi, Delta and Imo States. But flashback memory lane, the history of electoral contests in Kogi State, have been particularly riddled in controversies.

The scary alert raised by the electoral umpire, Professor Attahiru Jega, is enough to know the direction which the poll will take even as it further ignites fears in those who have suffered extremely from the do-or-die politics introduced into the state since the 2003 general elections.

It was common knowledge that in 2003, 2007 and the governorship re-run of 2008, the conduct of the elections left much to be desired.

There were allegations that the then INEC boss, Professor Maurice Iwu, consistently announced results in favour of one of the prominent political parties in disregard of complaints about thuggery and other forms of irregularities.

Harping on Professor Jega’s fears, a group known as Coalition of Youths for Proper Democratic Change, last week, raised an alarm over alleged plans, to use the security forces to rig the poll.

The youths urged the Nigerian army to transfer some top officials from Lokoja, alleging that they may have been compromised ahead of the polls.

The chairman of the group, Malam Zubairu Abdullahi, said in a statement that, “information available to us shows that hundreds of Hillux pick-up jeeps have been purchased to be used by thugs who will disguise in military and police uniforms to forcefully rig the election by snatching ballot boxes, changing figures and scaring away eligible voters from exercising their civic responsibility.

As measures to curtail these unscrupulous plans, the group “urged security agencies, the INEC and other stakeholders in the conduct of the election to be transparent and honest in discharging their duties during and after the election.

Also, a Non-Governmental Organization, the Kogi Conscience Forum, has alleged that consignments of 500 pieces of AK-47 assault rifles, meant to cause mayhem on the election day have arrived the state.

The forum also warned that “arrangement has been concluded to sew fake army and police uniforms for use by thugs so as to deceive the unsuspecting electorate that they are genuine security agents assigned to handle electoral duties.

The forum has sent a petition in this regard to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim and copied the NSA, INEC, TMG, respectively.

The petition signed by the forum’s President, Joseph Adama, General Secretary, Abdullahi Usman and PRO, Kayode Ojo, respectively, alleged further that the weapons would be distributed to political thugs designed to appear in fake police and army uniforms to intimidate voters’ and disenfranchise them.

Following the scope of fears being expressed ahead of the December poll, one will be forced to challenge the INEC chairman, Professor Jega, to live up to his promises and mobilize necessary gadgets to monitor the governorship election and expose nefarious activities of any person or group of persons who may attempt to rig the election.  What is paramount now is for Jega to expose and nip in the bud, the do-or-die politics.

It has also become necessary to call on the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, to monitor the activities of policemen who will be posted to the state on election duty, and if possible, be given a code to ensure that thugs impersonating policemen are fished out and made to face justice.

Alhaji Mohammed writes from No. 32, Adamu Attah road, Adavi, Kogi State