We must stop all forms of electoral violence

To attain electoral conquest, some pragmatic politicians believe in deploying the voice of reason to qualify for leadership, whereas others resort to the unwanted voice of violence. When success is raped in elections, the ultimate repercussion will be treasury looting on the assumption of office. in the past, this year’s elections were also marred by […]

To attain electoral conquest, some pragmatic politicians believe in deploying the voice of reason to qualify for leadership, whereas others resort to the unwanted voice of violence. When success is raped in elections, the ultimate repercussion will be treasury looting on the assumption of office.

in the past, this year’s elections were also marred by disruptions across the country. The co-ordinated assaults were the outcome of desperation for power by self-serving politicians. The violence was more pronounced during the governorship and state assembly elections.

The main objective of electoral violence is to influence the voting process and by extension, its outcome. 

Nigeria’s elections and their sanctity have been violated by violence of varying dimensions since independence. Most of the victims are ordinary civilians, INEC ad hoc staff and security personnel. 

Electoral violence weighs negatively on the government, which is imposed and lacks recognition of the people. It further discourages the political participation of citizens in subsequent elections.

It baffles the mind that the notorious perpetrators of violence during elections and their sponsors are not arrested and made to face the music of their brutalities. This makes the disorder to be a recurring phenomenon. 

Voices, votes and violence cannot co-exist and function together to foster democracy. Voices of reason and votes are the best political elements of producing good leaders. We acknowledge them as the heroes of elections.

But when electoral violence is turned into an opportunity to unleash havoc on innocent people, then democracy is infected with a dreaded disease. Elections and violence can never be the same. Elections are legitimate but violence is a criminal act which must be arrested by all possible means.

Preserving the people’s confidence in democracy is dealing decisively with the perpetrators of electoral violence no matter how highly placed they are. We ought to learn a great lesson from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan who categorically stated that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

 

Abdu Abdullahi wrote via [email protected]