The National Security Adviser (NSA) thinks the Bayelsa and Kogi elections conducted November 30 were fiasco but the Nigeria Police Force in sharp contrast say it was relatively peace despite reported violence and killings. Emeka Nze writes.
The issue
The National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Inspector General of Police Wednesday sharply disagreed on their perceptions of the recently concluded governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.
While the NSA lamented that despite the assurances of adequate preparations made by security agencies prior to elections, the polls “were a fiasco where the unthinkable happened.”
“Despite the promises made prior to the two elections by the IACCES agencies- they made promises and told the meeting of the level of their preparedness but unfortunately, fiasco was the answer. What happened was quite unthinkable.”
IGP dismisses claim
But the Inspector General of Police returned a verdict of “relatively peaceful polls” in the two states but was quick to acknowledge that there were thuggery, infractions and other challenges during the elections.
“On the whole, despite the related infractions or some sort of thuggery that was observed and other challenges faced, the elections could be said to be relatively peaceful.”
Both the NSA and IGP made the remarks in Abuja on Wednesday at the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during a meeting of the Inter Agencies Consultative Committee on Election Security (IACCES).
Elections marred by violence- NSA
Speaking through a representative, Mr Sanusi Galadima, the National Security Adviser lamented “the violence that erupted in the two states of Bayelsa and Kogi states, particularly, the violence that occurred in Kogi state which aftermath of that election led to the death of a woman leader in that state.”
He said, “Despite the promises made prior to the two elections by the IACCES agencies- they made promises and told the meeting of the level of their preparedness but unfortunately, the fiasco was the answer. What happened was quite unthinkable.
“The future elections particularly the bye-elections that would come up in January 2020, all the various security agencies, political parties must come together to ensure that those elections are conducted hitch-free, free of violence so that we continue to make positive impacts in all future elections.
What NSA fears about future elections
“Our fears are that if nothing is done to curtail all these kind of violence in future elections, voters will not even come out and vote. Just yesterday, if we cast our mind, there was a book launch in Abuja where we had all the crème de la creme of various political parties, all the national chairmen of the strongest political parties-APC and PDP were there, I saw how they were embracing each other, laughing, which to my mind, that laughter means a lot:
“Look at the useless people killing themselves because of politics. So, it is our hope and prayer that if all the stakeholders pertaining to any election that would come up in future would come together the issue of violence would be addressed adequately.”
According to the NSA, their observations truly convey the actual situation and should be held in high esteem. Further, the NSA boss said the nation owes deep appreciation of those security agencies that really made positive impact during the two elections.
Report of deaths not true- IGP
Speaking on the reported cases of incidences of mass killings and overwhelming violence which many strongly saw as a major dent to the exercise, the IGP dismissed the number of deaths that were claimed to have taken place during the elections in the two states. He said the figures were grossly exaggerated by the media and the political parties for obvious reasons.
Considering a particular instance, the representative of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, CP Mishelia Makama, while giving the number of arrests made in the two states during the elections, explained that six suspects were arrested separately in connection with the PDP woman leader, who was burnt to death in her house in Kogi state.
“As regards the woman leader that was hacked down, six suspects again were arrested separately in view of that particular matter, again investigations are yet to be concluded. Once it is done, proper action would be taken.”
35 violators arrested in Bayelsa
Makama explained other arrests made in both states: “As regards Bayelsa election, a number of these police officers that were deployed there ran to about 31,041 of them that were assigned for the assignment after which of course again, there were skirmishes of violence here and there. At the end of the day, some suspects were arrested, suspects that were directly involved were arrested, and about 35 of them were arrested in Bayelsa and are being interrogated by the zonal police headquarters in Benin City.
“Once it is concluded, they would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded while in Kogi a total of 35,200 were deployed also for the same assignment and again there were some skirmishes of violence here and there, which at the end of the day left a woman leader dead. As regards elections, suspects that were arrested for violating the electoral laws, 8 in number and again they being interrogated, those that are found culpable would be charged to court.”
He said adequate care would be given to those areas that would require further improvement in future elections saying that feedback would be taken up again wherever shortfalls were recorded.
INEC’s demands
The INEC said the deployment of security personnel in all future elections should be tied to specific locations and activities for easy identification, monitoring and control. The commission thinks this would in future ensure that security operatives are under clear supervision and therefore easy to direct and assist to handle security situations.
The chairman commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu suggested that in future all security personnel deployed to polling units and collation centres should be identified by name as is the case with INEC officials.
He explained the reasons: “This will not only enhance transparency, but the Commission and security agencies will know who to contact in specific locations during elections when the need arises. They will also be held responsible for the proper conduct of elections in those locations.”
Yakubu also stated that there was need “to continue to deepen the use of technology for the integrity of elections. The Senate Committee on INEC has already shared with the commission the Electoral Act amendment bill for our input.
“We are excited by some of the new provisions concerning electronic transmission of results. We are glad that the electoral legal framework is removing some of the encumbrances to the full deployment of technology for the improvement of the electoral process in Nigeria, especially result collation and management.
“The commission will work with the National Assembly for the expeditious passage of the amendment to the electoral legal framework so that work can begin in earnest to make future elections in Nigeria more technology-based. It is long overdue, it is doable, it is achievable and it is inevitable.”
