*Say govs may use it to intimidate opponents
*IG hints 52 cases of politically-motivated violence occurred in 22 states since campaigns started
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Eighteen political parties and heads of all the security agencies in the country, yesterday, met in Abuja and denounced the use of quasi-security outfits by state chief executives, alleging they can be used to intimidate political opponents ahead of the 2023 elections.
Security chiefs, particularly, expressed concerns over rising wave of violence as the election approached.
Relatedly, Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, disclosed that 52 cases of politically motivated violence occurred in 22 states since the commencement of political campaigns on September 28.
Security agencies and parties present at the meeting expressed concerns about the consequences of violence on national security and democratic process. They called on political actors to reinforce their commitment to a peaceful electoral process.
Agencies represented at the meeting included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Department of State Services (DSS), and Defence Intelligence. There were also representatives of the Comptroller-General of Customs (NCS) and Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Controller-General of Nigerian Correctional Service, and members of the force management team.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, stated, “After a comprehensive deliberation, the following resolutions were reached and hereby declared as the ‘Communiqué of the Meeting with Political Parties and Other Stakeholders in Preparation for the 2023 General Elections.’”
The communiqué, “Recognised that political violence, hate speech, threat, political intolerance, misinformation, and political extremism are potent threats to our democracy and national security interests and expressed grave concerns on the conduct of some governors in deploying state powers to deny opposition parties and candidates (spaces) to advance their electoral freedom and activities in their states.”
The communiqué also expressed concerns over the continuous and illegal deployments of sub-national, quasi-security bodies by some governors to intimidate political opponents in violation of the Electoral Act.
It “recognised the need to protect our democratic heritage and national security interests in order to insulate the country from possible subversive activities by foreign powers”.
The communiqué, “Condemned in unison and in all ramifications, the trend of political violence, hate speech and other negative tendencies in our electoral process and reached a consensus on the need to present a common front with the Nigeria Police, INEC, military, and other security agencies in nipping the negative trend in the bud and condemned attacks on INEC personnel and assets ahead of the 2023 ggeneral election.”
It further called on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to be conscious of not just violence before and during the elections, but also possible violence after the general election and the effect such could have on the credibility of the process.
The meeting implored the police and other security agencies to remain professional and impartial in the performance of their election security operations and to be firm in dealing with electoral violence and other threats to the election security process.
The communiqué, “Recognised the assurances by INEC to continue to enforce the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and to continue to synergise with the Nigeria Police as the lead agency in the election security management process towards addressing threats within the electoral process and in guaranteeing a peaceful and credible 2023 general election.
“Assured that the leaderships of all political parties will re-dedicate themselves towards undertaking their campaigns and electoral activities within the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2022, and pledged to denounce electoral violence, hate speeches and other negative tendencies in the electoral process.
“Encouraged the Inspector-General of Police to extend the engagement to presidential, governorship and other candidates across all parties as it is recognised that most instances of violence are associated with some of them and their followers.”
It commended the Inspector-General of Police for his vision in convening the meeting and encouraged him to sustain the initiative of engaging the leaderships of political parties in addressing threats to the electoral process and also to cascade the initiative to the state and local levels of governance for the initiative to have grassroots effect.
Earlier, the IG reviewed the manifestations of political violence to include violence targeted at the personnel and assets of INEC, as recently witnessed in Ogun and Osun states.
The IG said, “The second form of political violence manifests in form of inter-party intolerance and violence, which often become particularly pronounced during campaigns, elections, and post-elections phases. It is on record that not less than 52 cases of such politically-motivated, intra, and inter-party violence, have been recorded across 22 states since the official commencement of campaigns for the 2023 general elections on 28th September, 2022.
“The last form of political violence relates to the conduct of some governors, who manifest traits of political intolerance, which often inflame political tension. In this regard, we have been receiving reports of some governors, who encourage political thugs and sub-national security outfits under their control to disrupt seamless and statutorily guaranteed campaign activities of parties or candidates with whom they hold opposing political views.
“In so doing, they deploy their powers and influences to either prevent the mounting of campaign billboards or pull them down, while also denying political opponents of spaces to undertake their campaigns or peaceful political congregations in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
“Most of the recorded violent incidents or threats often result from political extremism, misinformation, intolerance, wrong political orientation, hate speeches, incitement, and, most importantly, the desperation of strategic actors within the political field, who often place their parochial political ambitions over and above national security interests and our nation’s stable democratic order.
“Such actors, usually give a wrong direction to their party faithful, arm them, re-orient them and encourage them to resort to the use of threat, violence, and other extra-legal means to frustrate competing political parties and impose their own faulty perception of politicking.”
