Guber polls: CODE condemns violence, urge Buhari to make statement

A Civil Society Organization, Connected Development (CODE) has condemned voters intimidation and violence reported in the last weekend governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

CODE also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to join his voice in condemning this dastardly act.

The Chief Executive of CODE, Hamza Lawal made the call while presenting the report of the organisation’s post-election findings, in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said “I think that Mr President has been quiet for quite too long as the Chief Security Officer and the Commander in Chief of the Federation. Mr President have to make a statement and in making a statement, consequences must be met because if we have a country without consequence where everything goes, then the rule of law will take the back sit. In what we are seeing now, it is getting close to a country that is not properly govern”.

Lawal however urged relevant security agencies to ensure that justice is meted on persons fingered in electoral violence during the polls across the country.

According to him “It is sad and unfortunate that our security agents are rather protecting political thugs than the electorates. How does thugs mobilise with arms to attack electorates in a polling unit and leave or stroll out without any arrest move? Because what we were told is that for every polling unit, you will see two security agents that are unarmed but that the army, the police, the civil defence will provide parameter security who are armed personnel.

“I know that some arrest has been done but what we don’t know is when the people will be prosecuted and put behind bars for election malpractices”.

The Chief Executive also charged religious leaders and tradition rulers to use their influence to unite the already divisive society.

“We must see ourselves as human. Nigeria as a whole has united us and we must not picket or target people because of their choice, because of their language or because of the region that they come from. If we continue this way, it will consume each and everyone of us.

“We hope that our tradition and religious leaders can douse the tension and call people to order that as a country we must continue to remain united and peaceful” he added.

Speaking on the conduct of the elections, CODE expressed dissatisfaction over the process adding that there were human interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which affected the outcome.