As Nigerians file out tomorrow to participate in the general
election, most of the hotspots where trouble and violence may erupt and
the indicators, which pencilled them as such, are still prevalent. This
is in spite of assurances that the elections will be non-violent, free,
fair and credible. CHIKA OTUCHIKERE and PAUL CHIAMA look at the issue.
At exactly 8am tomorrow, the long awaited process to elect representatives to govern the country for another four years arrives at its first (and most important) take-off point. With the inspector-general of police, Suleiman Abba’s directive of ‘no movement’ from that time of commencement to 5pm, all roads and highways will be deserted except for persons on election related activities and other essential service.
Going by the controversy that the earlier postponement of the elections generated among Nigerians, especially followers of the two leading political parties, the All Progressives Party (APC) and the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), that the elections are finally coming to pass has come as a great relief to Nigerians who were hitherto apprehensive that ongoing litigation may abort the elections again. Thankfully, that has not happened.
On hindsight, it could be said that though the issues which the electoral umpire, the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), adduced for the postponement were only partially addressed, the election will not be stopped from going ahead. INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, had mentioned the inability to conclusively distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the state of insecurity in the northeast to justify the action.
However, LEADERSHIP Friday’s finding reveal that beyond the issues of PVC and insecurity, other issues projected threat signals to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections. It became apparent that the two leading parties had thrown all caution and sanity to the wind in their desperation to either cling to power or wrest it by all means. On daily basis, Nigerians were buffeted with advertorials which only succeeded in shooting up the bile in their rivals.
At the countdown, nearly every nook and cranny of the country was bursting with party supporters, whose restraints have been stretched to snapping point, leaving them with only a whistle signal before they will rise up in arms for their preferred candidates. While the Nigerian Police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were shy to give details of the likely hot spots, a security threat assessment report conducted by the CLEEN Foundation discovered that over 80 per cent of the states had a high rate of threat possibility.
With the variables and factors of political violence mutating by the minutes, it is feared the percentage could reach 100 before the end of the elections. The report used the traffic light signs of red, amber and green to indicate the affected states.
The states in RED include:
North Central (NC) – Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa; North East (NE) – Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba; North West (NW) – Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara; South South (SS) – Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo; South East (SE) – Enugu, Imo; South West (SW) – Lagos The states hovering in AMBER include: NE – Bauchi, Gombe; NW – Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto; SE – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi; SW: Ondo, Oyo, Ogun; NC – Kogi, Niger.
Only six states showed the GREEN light, i.e., little or no violence. They are: NC – Kwara; NW – Kebbi; SS – Cross River, Bayelsa; SW – Osun, Ekiti. According to the report, the measures adopted for the categorisation of the states include history of violence, degree of control by incumbent and relationship with the federal government, stability of internal state party politics, existence of terrorist/militant activities, state of emergency or communal/religious conflict, bid forsecond term by incumbent governor, zoning arrangement, jostle for federal and state legislative positions, etc.
The report further analysed the criteria for the findings and identified the presence and activities of non-state actors as a major factor threat factor. It proffered an understanding of the recruitment, operations, financing and accountability processes of these non-state actors.
“In the North West, some non-state outfits are supported and funded by some states and local governments. In some cases, parallel or complementary security outfits are established by states.
For instance, aside the Hisbah in Kano, the government recruited and trained 395 security guards to curb the menace of insecurity and unemployment.
“Militant youths, called Area Boys, are major players in electoral politics and security in Sokoto State. In Kano, Kaduna, Katsina states with the history of youth militancy, particularly the Yan’daba, electoral politics is always an opportunity to perpetrate violence on behalf of their principals. The cases of raids and mass killings by bandits in southern Kaduna are also attracting non-state security response from the communities.
“In the North East, the continued encroachment and establishment of a caliphate by insurgents has cast doubts on the conduct of the 2015 elections in the region. In the North Central region, the rise and dominance of militia and vigilante groups operating outside the control of states is an ongoing issue. The remoteness of the land makes it poorly policed, which in turn increases the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs).
“In the South South, the ex-militants, cult groups and other dangerous groups are creating security concerns. It is feared that the existence of these groups may lead to the creation of counter armed groups for opposition parties vying for other government level positions.
“In the South West, the most pronounced non-state actors are the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) working mainly as private security guards. In Ogun and Osun states, state-funded vigilante security outfits complement the police and other security agencies. They, however, carry weapons and unlicensed arms, operate illegal detention centres and are said to be involved in extrajudicial killings.”
It is instructive to note that the report’s findings preceded the recent operations in the North East in which Nigerian troops, collaborating with some neighbouring countries, have recaptured most of the towns and local government areas captured by Boko Haram. The successes of the military, though extensive, may not guarantee a smooth conduct of the elections in those recaptured territories.
NEMA coordinator for Abuja operations, Mr Ishaya Chonoko, told LEADERSHIP Friday that the states considered hot spots include those where violence erupted during and after the 2011 election. He, however, declined to give a list of the states in order to, according to him, avoid igniting tension in those states.
The chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Friday, gave the assurance that INEC was collaborating with security agencies and the Inter-Party Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate provision of security in identified trouble spots during the elections.
“That is the whole work of the Inter-Party Council concerning the election. There are efforts and collaborations with security agencies to adequately secure the trouble spots, high risk areas and across borderlines,” he said.
Asked if there is water-tight assurance of security in the flashpoints, he said, “Sure, we have confidence. That is what security agencies have assured us. There will be adequate provision of security in the areas identified as flashpoints”.
However, when asked to name some of the volatile states, he said he did not have the list.
The Nigeria Police head of public relations, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, told LEADERSHIP Friday that the force had identified hot spots across the country and had deployed operatives in relation to the degree of the threat.
“We have identified some trouble spots in the country but it would not be proper for me to name them. We are working and we’ve doubled our efforts to deal with issues that may arise from these hotspots.
“The solution is to nip in the bud any threat to peace, to security and safety and to bring the likely perpetrators to book. We’ve made some arrests and we are still working to neutralise anything that would bring disorder to the polls,” Ojukwu said.
Asked how the police would manage the hot spots during the election given their population and how a large chunk of her operatives are presumably currently engaged in bringing life back to the towns and LGAs recaptured by the troops from the insurgents, he said, “The job of the police is to guarantee internal security. And now that we have an issue with insurgency in some parts of the country, wherever the military forces have liberated a land, the Nigeria Police take over to reassure members of the public to return to their lives, reconstruct their lives and go about their normal businesses. That would not in any way affect deployment of security for the elections.”
On the deployment of the military to assist the police in internal security, Ojukwu said the military was allowed to render help to the police in times of threat and danger.
“We don’t determine whether the military will be involved in elections or not, but the military is also allowed to come to the aid of civil authority to do certain jobs. The military is Nigeria’s military, doing Nigeria’s job. Let me stop there; we don’t determine when and where they are deployed.”
He also spoke about the controversy on whether Nigerians should stay put in the polling stations to ensure that their votes are not manipulated, saying that the IPG did not recant since he never issued any such directive.
“There was no directive by the IGP that people should leave the
polling stations after voting. He only advised Nigerians to leave. It’s up to you to heed the advice; if you don’t want to heed, you can stay there and waste your time because from 8am to 6pm is a very long time in the life of a person. If you so decide to stay in that place throughout, all well and good.
“All the advice he gave is that should you decide to stay, make sure you don’t offend the law because if you do, the law will catch up with you. He did not recant anything; to the contrary, he only advised Nigerians: cast your votes and go home. It’s an advice which you may heed or you may not heed. He didn’t say anything that is contrary to the law.”
Reminded that the IGP may have given the advice against the backdrop of the paucity of personnel in the force, the spokesman said, “There is no war going on. Nigerians should go and exercise their franchise and go about their lawful businesses. There is no way we’ll have enough police men to stop everyone who wants to make trouble; if you make trouble, the law will arrest you. Every Nigerian has the power to arrest somebody who has committed an offence; so every Nigerian is a policeman. We are not threatened by any paucity; the same police you’ve always had is the same police that will police the elections. We are not importing police from outer space. There is no fear, no cause for alarm.
“Election is one item in the agenda of this country; election will come and go but Nigeria will remain. The will of Nigerians is to
determine who becomes their leader come May 29, 2015. That will must come to pass; nobody can stop that will from being expressed and anybody who tampers with that will must be dealt with in line with the laws of the land.”
Ojukwu further declared that the force was an impartial law enforcement organ which would always give a level playing ground for everyone to exercise their franchise.
At exactly 8am tomorrow, the long awaited process to elect representatives to govern the country for another four years arrives at its first (and most important) take-off point. With the inspector-general of police, Suleiman Abba’s directive of ‘no movement’ from that time of commencement to 5pm, all roads and highways will be deserted except for persons on election related activities and other essential service.
Going by the controversy that the earlier postponement of the elections generated among Nigerians, especially followers of the two leading political parties, the All Progressives Party (APC) and the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), that the elections are finally coming to pass has come as a great relief to Nigerians who were hitherto apprehensive that ongoing litigation may abort the elections again. Thankfully, that has not happened.
On hindsight, it could be said that though the issues which the electoral umpire, the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), adduced for the postponement were only partially addressed, the election will not be stopped from going ahead. INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, had mentioned the inability to conclusively distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the state of insecurity in the northeast to justify the action.
However, LEADERSHIP Friday’s finding reveal that beyond the issues of PVC and insecurity, other issues projected threat signals to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections. It became apparent that the two leading parties had thrown all caution and sanity to the wind in their desperation to either cling to power or wrest it by all means. On daily basis, Nigerians were buffeted with advertorials which only succeeded in shooting up the bile in their rivals.
At the countdown, nearly every nook and cranny of the country was bursting with party supporters, whose restraints have been stretched to snapping point, leaving them with only a whistle signal before they will rise up in arms for their preferred candidates. While the Nigerian Police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were shy to give details of the likely hot spots, a security threat assessment report conducted by the CLEEN Foundation discovered that over 80 per cent of the states had a high rate of threat possibility.
With the variables and factors of political violence mutating by the minutes, it is feared the percentage could reach 100 before the end of the elections. The report used the traffic light signs of red, amber and green to indicate the affected states.
The states in RED include:
North Central (NC) – Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa; North East (NE) – Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba; North West (NW) – Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara; South South (SS) – Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo; South East (SE) – Enugu, Imo; South West (SW) – Lagos The states hovering in AMBER include: NE – Bauchi, Gombe; NW – Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto; SE – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi; SW: Ondo, Oyo, Ogun; NC – Kogi, Niger.
Only six states showed the GREEN light, i.e., little or no violence. They are: NC – Kwara; NW – Kebbi; SS – Cross River, Bayelsa; SW – Osun, Ekiti. According to the report, the measures adopted for the categorisation of the states include history of violence, degree of control by incumbent and relationship with the federal government, stability of internal state party politics, existence of terrorist/militant activities, state of emergency or communal/religious conflict, bid forsecond term by incumbent governor, zoning arrangement, jostle for federal and state legislative positions, etc.
The report further analysed the criteria for the findings and identified the presence and activities of non-state actors as a major factor threat factor. It proffered an understanding of the recruitment, operations, financing and accountability processes of these non-state actors.
“In the North West, some non-state outfits are supported and funded by some states and local governments. In some cases, parallel or complementary security outfits are established by states.
For instance, aside the Hisbah in Kano, the government recruited and trained 395 security guards to curb the menace of insecurity and unemployment.
“Militant youths, called Area Boys, are major players in electoral politics and security in Sokoto State. In Kano, Kaduna, Katsina states with the history of youth militancy, particularly the Yan’daba, electoral politics is always an opportunity to perpetrate violence on behalf of their principals. The cases of raids and mass killings by bandits in southern Kaduna are also attracting non-state security response from the communities.
“In the North East, the continued encroachment and establishment of a caliphate by insurgents has cast doubts on the conduct of the 2015 elections in the region. In the North Central region, the rise and dominance of militia and vigilante groups operating outside the control of states is an ongoing issue. The remoteness of the land makes it poorly policed, which in turn increases the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs).
“In the South South, the ex-militants, cult groups and other dangerous groups are creating security concerns. It is feared that the existence of these groups may lead to the creation of counter armed groups for opposition parties vying for other government level positions.
“In the South West, the most pronounced non-state actors are the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) working mainly as private security guards. In Ogun and Osun states, state-funded vigilante security outfits complement the police and other security agencies. They, however, carry weapons and unlicensed arms, operate illegal detention centres and are said to be involved in extrajudicial killings.”
It is instructive to note that the report’s findings preceded the recent operations in the North East in which Nigerian troops, collaborating with some neighbouring countries, have recaptured most of the towns and local government areas captured by Boko Haram. The successes of the military, though extensive, may not guarantee a smooth conduct of the elections in those recaptured territories.
NEMA coordinator for Abuja operations, Mr Ishaya Chonoko, told LEADERSHIP Friday that the states considered hot spots include those where violence erupted during and after the 2011 election. He, however, declined to give a list of the states in order to, according to him, avoid igniting tension in those states.
The chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Friday, gave the assurance that INEC was collaborating with security agencies and the Inter-Party Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate provision of security in identified trouble spots during the elections.
“That is the whole work of the Inter-Party Council concerning the election. There are efforts and collaborations with security agencies to adequately secure the trouble spots, high risk areas and across borderlines,” he said.
Asked if there is water-tight assurance of security in the flashpoints, he said, “Sure, we have confidence. That is what security agencies have assured us. There will be adequate provision of security in the areas identified as flashpoints”.
However, when asked to name some of the volatile states, he said he did not have the list.
The Nigeria Police head of public relations, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, told LEADERSHIP Friday that the force had identified hot spots across the country and had deployed operatives in relation to the degree of the threat.
“We have identified some trouble spots in the country but it would not be proper for me to name them. We are working and we’ve doubled our efforts to deal with issues that may arise from these hotspots.
“The solution is to nip in the bud any threat to peace, to security and safety and to bring the likely perpetrators to book. We’ve made some arrests and we are still working to neutralise anything that would bring disorder to the polls,” Ojukwu said.
Asked how the police would manage the hot spots during the election given their population and how a large chunk of her operatives are presumably currently engaged in bringing life back to the towns and LGAs recaptured by the troops from the insurgents, he said, “The job of the police is to guarantee internal security. And now that we have an issue with insurgency in some parts of the country, wherever the military forces have liberated a land, the Nigeria Police take over to reassure members of the public to return to their lives, reconstruct their lives and go about their normal businesses. That would not in any way affect deployment of security for the elections.”
On the deployment of the military to assist the police in internal security, Ojukwu said the military was allowed to render help to the police in times of threat and danger.
“We don’t determine whether the military will be involved in elections or not, but the military is also allowed to come to the aid of civil authority to do certain jobs. The military is Nigeria’s military, doing Nigeria’s job. Let me stop there; we don’t determine when and where they are deployed.”
He also spoke about the controversy on whether Nigerians should stay put in the polling stations to ensure that their votes are not manipulated, saying that the IPG did not recant since he never issued any such directive.
“There was no directive by the IGP that people should leave the
polling stations after voting. He only advised Nigerians to leave. It’s up to you to heed the advice; if you don’t want to heed, you can stay there and waste your time because from 8am to 6pm is a very long time in the life of a person. If you so decide to stay in that place throughout, all well and good.
“All the advice he gave is that should you decide to stay, make sure you don’t offend the law because if you do, the law will catch up with you. He did not recant anything; to the contrary, he only advised Nigerians: cast your votes and go home. It’s an advice which you may heed or you may not heed. He didn’t say anything that is contrary to the law.”
Reminded that the IGP may have given the advice against the backdrop of the paucity of personnel in the force, the spokesman said, “There is no war going on. Nigerians should go and exercise their franchise and go about their lawful businesses. There is no way we’ll have enough police men to stop everyone who wants to make trouble; if you make trouble, the law will arrest you. Every Nigerian has the power to arrest somebody who has committed an offence; so every Nigerian is a policeman. We are not threatened by any paucity; the same police you’ve always had is the same police that will police the elections. We are not importing police from outer space. There is no fear, no cause for alarm.
“Election is one item in the agenda of this country; election will come and go but Nigeria will remain. The will of Nigerians is to
determine who becomes their leader come May 29, 2015. That will must come to pass; nobody can stop that will from being expressed and anybody who tampers with that will must be dealt with in line with the laws of the land.”
Ojukwu further declared that the force was an impartial law enforcement organ which would always give a level playing ground for everyone to exercise their franchise.
No comments:
Post a Comment