Home News Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, CLEEN Foundation’s Elections Security Support Centre condemn postponement of polls

Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, CLEEN Foundation’s Elections Security Support Centre condemn postponement of polls

by Armada News
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The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has  expressed disappointment and shock at the postponement of the polls in spite of the assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that everything was ready for the elections.

 

It said the development casts a cloud of doubt on INEC’s credibility and competence in conducting the election.

 

“It has created needless tension and confusion in the country. INEC has a duty to be honest and transparent with Nigerians in the conduct of elections. That duty of honesty has been fundamentally breached,”said Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director, Policy a& Legal Advocacy Centre & Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in a statement on Saturday.

The statement read: “The Situation Room calls on INEC to immediately provide clear explanation to Nigerians and stakeholders on whatwent wrong and steps to be taken to ensure that this does not happen again. INEC must inform Nigerians what steps it is taking to hold persons responsible for this fiasco to account.

 

“INEC has an onerous task of reassuring Nigerians in the light of these unfortunate events especially with respect to transparency of polls, collation and enforcement of rules. The Commission needs to explain to Nigerians how they are able to address the extra financial and logistics burden that this has occasioned. Also the management and integrity of already distributed materials is key. INEC willneed to explain how it will do this.

“There is no doubt that this postponement has imposed unforeseen financial and logistics burden on political parties,candidates, businesses and indeed the generality of Nigerians. We sympathize with Nigerians and urge restraints in the face of this sad postponement. We particularly call on political parties and candidates for election, to put Nigeria first and ensure that every grievance is channeled through appropriate quarters.

“In period of national uncertainties, fake news and hate speech could be destabilizing. We urge for restraint andcall on all stakeholders to refrain from misinformation and inciting comments capable of undermining peace and security. Security agencies are called upon to remain professional and neutral as we collectively confront this challenge.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the treatment of National Youth Corp members. The heart-breaking pictures of these brave young men and women sleeping in open fields without any arrangement for their security and safety is disappointing. We call on INEC and indeed all Nigerians to reach out to these youths and provide whatever support necessary to keep them fed and safe.

“Situation Room will continue to closely watch the process and will take needed step to support the conduct of credible elections in Nigeria. There is no alternative to democratic elections and we will continue to work towards successful elections in the country. Nigerians should not give up. We urge all eligible voters to come out and cast their vote. Nigeria belongs to us all.”

The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support ofcredible and transparent elections in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI) Enough is Enough Nigeria, WANGONET, Partners for Electoral Reform, JDPC and YIAGA Africa Others are Development Dynamics, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Stakeholders Democracy Network, Human Rights Monitor, Reclaim Naija, CITAD, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE) CISLAC, and several other CSOs numbering more than seventy.

 

Also, the CLEEN Foundation’s Elections Security Support Centre (ESSC) said it was deeply disturbed by the decision of the INEC to reschedule the general elections originally scheduled for Saturday 16th February and March 2nd.

 

“The CLEEN Foundation’s assessment of the development is that it raises various safety and security concerns that should be handled carefully to avoid further challenges. These include but not limited to citizens’ security, security of sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials, the security of electoral personnel and safety of observers,” said Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director
CLEEN Foundation, in a statement also on Saturday.

 

Olugbuo added: “We are concerned that sensitive election materials deployed into the public domain may be compromised, if adequate security measures are not taken to safeguard them. CLEEN Foundation therefore recommends that INEC and security agencies must ensure that the materials are not compromised.

Olugbuo

“CLEEN Foundation further recommends that security agents deployed for election duty should be adequately resourced to enable them deliver on their mandate, in view of the consequences of the sudden rescheduling.

 

“All INEC officials and ad-hoc staff, especially members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), deployed for election duty should be protected (especially those in volatile areas) and necessary provision made available to enable them discharge their duties effectively across the federation.

 

“It is important to note that human and material resources have been lost as a result of this rescheduling despite repeated assurances from INEC informing Nigerians that they are ready to conduct the elections. We therefore call on INEC to be more transparent and proactive in communicating with Nigerians and strategic partners on their logistics and operational challenges.

 

“Finally, the rescheduling offers INEC a window of opportunity to reclaim its credibility and enhance its capacity to conduct free, fair, peaceful and credible elections. INEC needs to convince stakeholders and the international community that this action is for the effective delivery of its mandate towards deepening democracy in Nigeria.”

 

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