Stakeholders express concern over manipulation of electoral officers

Against the backdrop of perceived blackmail and intimidation of officials of the country’s electoral body, an Election Reform Expert Group (EREG) has expressed concern over alleged manipulation of Electoral Officers by political actors.

The EREG argued that if left unchecked, the politicians would derail the gains of free, fair and credible electoral system already achieved in the country.

They maintained that one of such happenings was the current plot to create a nexus between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu and a serving governor who the former worked with in different capacities at an earlier national service.

The stakeholders in electoral process took this position in a statement jointly issued by Dr. Chima Amadi of Centre for Transparency Advocacy; Eze Nwagwu of Partners for Electoral Reforms; and Abdul Mahmud-President, Public Interest Lawyers League in Abuja.

Others who endorsed the statement are: Jaye Gakia, Coordinator, Protest to Power; Okechukwu Nwanguma for Network of Police Reforms in Nigeria; Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director, Centre for Gender and Development Initiative and Member, EITI Board; and Emeka J. Ononamadu, Executive Director, Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights.

They described such contentions as laughable, saying, such was the handiwork of desperate politicians whose stock in trade which included violent manipulations of elections, has suddenly come under threat by a renewed, motivated, and determined Electoral body.

According to them, “These political actors have turned an ordinary action of political recruitment into a dance of the absurd; unleashing terror, mayhem and inflicting pains, sorrow and death on the electorates and electoral umpires.

“The free flow of blood in the Rivers re-run elections; the brutality in the creeks of Bayelsa; the rape of decency in the Imo re-run elections; the continued torching of INEC facilities/property and physical harassment of her staff are just a few of the machinations of political actors across the spectrum.”

It decried that elections in Nigerian have become a theatre of war due to the activities of these political gladiators, saying, politicians should play by the rules, which they themselves set out in the Electoral Act.

“Nigerians should therefore take note of the dangerous dimensions and boundless limits that these detractors are prepared to cross in their attempt to discredit the EMB and its officers and should disregard all manners of fables.”

Besides, they assured that EREG would continue to engage INEC on the best approaches to improve the electoral processes, and enjoined Nigerians to take note of those who through their actions were robbing them the rights to freely determine those who lead the country.