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ELECTION FRAUD, INEC AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY The executive Council of Edo Okpamakhin summoned an emergency meeting this past weekend to evaluate the inscrutable act of violence that marred the Saturday April 12 National Assembly elections in Nigeria. It has been widely reported in the news media that the elections were marred with violence, intimidation and killings. It will be recalled that Edo Okpamakhin recently issued a warning to INEC concerning the need to ensure free and fair elections for the survival of our nascent democracy. The violence that marred last Saturday’s elections forced an emergency meeting of the leaders of Edo Okpamakhin resident in the United States to evaluate all options open to Nigeria to make sure that the violence and killings are not repeated in subsequent elections, beginning next Saturday April 19. The continued slip of Nigeria into lawlessness, anarchy, and violence is certainly not conducive for a smooth democracy.
The world is looking positively to Nigeria to show leadership and set an example for the rest of Africa. Therefore, it is imperative that the Federal government ensures that the next elections are free of violence, and must not allow political thugs disenfranchise the people of Nigeria. It has been reported that lethally armed political thugs, especially in Edo state, freely paraded the entire state and scared people away from the polling stations through acts violence, which resulted in several deaths.
Edo Okpamakhin condemns in the strongest terms these acts of political violence, and demands that INEC and the federal government take necessary steps to ensure the conduct of subsequent elections in a free, fair, and violence-free environment. Edo Okpamakhin also demands that INEC and the federal government address the various reports of violence, rigging and other election malpractices that marred last Saturday’s elections with a view to producing credible results.
Upon a thorough assessment of last Saturday’s federal elections Edo Okpamakhin: Regrets that Nigerians are still obtuse to the lessons of our past history. It only baffles the sane minds to explain the fatalistic violence, after what the country went through during the dictatorship of Abacha. Unequivocally condemns the barbaric slaughter of innocent citizens whose only crime is the desire to express their fundamental human right, and civic responsibility in a democracy - the right to vote. Deprecates the continuing culture of corruption and the impetus displayed by those politicians who sponsor political thugs to intimidate and assassinate their opponents. Demands that INEC and the federal government nullify the outcome of elections in areas fraught with violence, rigging, and other electoral fraud, and reschedule fresh elections. Summons Nigerians to rise up to their civic responsibility to decry and abhor the culture of rigging, being perpetuated by some unscrupulous politicians in their inordinate ambition to impose themselves on Nigeria by any means. Warns that if the Federal government does not take measures to secure lives and prevent voter intimidation, Nigeria is headed for a major conflagration that will totally destabilize the entire African region. Is greatly disturbed at the Federal government’s pretentious position on the issue of voting fraud. If the outcome of the Nigeria election is to be credible, the Federal government has to become more proactive to ensure a free and fair election, and must be seen to be objective in assessing the situation. The current nonchalant attitude of the federal some state governments towards election malpractices as long as the outcome is favorable to the ruling party, is worrisome. Reminds all Nigerians that only the Federal and state governments have the legal machinery to prevent voter’s intimidation by political thugs. Calls on the federal government to mobilize more polling officers, police escort, to mount the polling stations to prevent violence and intimidation by political thugs. Demands that INEC and the Federal Government hold those who perpetrated violence, and their sponsors responsible for the their actions, including murder and other electoral infractions Demands INEC, as matter urgency to re-deploy their state representatives before the gubernatorial and Presidential elections in order to break the apparent syndicated ploy to rig the elections in favor of some candidates.
The inescapable conclusion is that Nigeria’s nascent democracy is under threat and it will be sad if the country falls into chaos once more. INEC and the federal government still has ample opportunity to prevent a repeat of last Saturday’s violence that was widely reported, especially in Edo State and parts of the South East. Issued by: Edo Okpamakhin. 3053 Turnberry Lane . Ann Arbor. Michigan 48108 Ph: 734-973-6844
April 2003
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