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• Decries ethnic profiling, voter’s suppression
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) , worried by the level of violence during the 2023 elections has advocated for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission to try all those involved in electoral violence.
It decried the ethnic profiling, voter’s intimidation and suppression that characterised voting in Lagos and other parts of the country, noting that the House of Representatives should expedite action on the Electoral Offences Commission bill, following its passage by the Senate, before the ninth House of Representatives winds up.
The NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje in a statement entitled, ‘2023 Elections: Democracy of Trial’ said the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission would help to sanitise Nigeria’s “electoral process by checkmating devious politicians who have realised the efficacy of the BVAS to expose electoral fraud and have resorted to voter suppression through unbridled violence.”
Owoaje described the violence that marred the March 18 elections in Lagos and other parts of the country as condemnable.
“The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) is greatly saddened by the recent developments in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria culminating in the upsurge in ethnic profiling on and off social media, group blame, verbal assaults and intimidation, physical attacks, hate speech and reckless propaganda, indicative of a growing and dangerous trend of intolerance as part of Nigeria’s political culture.
“We condemn the odious resort to intimidation and physical attacks by some undesirable elements as witnessed in some parts of Lagos on March 18 with the sole objective to stymie voting in political opponents’ strongholds mostly based on tribal bias. These actions are unconstitutional, uncivilised and antithetical to the tenets of democracy. Freedom of association, unfettered membership of political parties, and the choice of voting for preferred candidates are guaranteed rights in the Nigerian constitution. Infringing upon these liberties as witnessed in Lagos and other parts of the country imperils democracy.”
He expressed disappointment in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its inability to ensure transmission of results of the Presidential results on the IReV portal, stressing that its excuse of technical glitches was “totally unconvincing, questionable and embarrassing.”
Owoaje while calling on Nigerians not to despair in their “enthusiasm for and commitment to democracy” commended Nigerians for refusing to be drawn in post-election violence which could endanger democracy.
He noted that though INEC improved with logistical deployment and transmission of results during the March 18 election, the electoral commission would need to regain public trust by launching an investigation into why the Presidential election results could not be uploaded on the IReV on February 25 and make its probe report public.
It also called on INEC and the security agencies to fish out personnel proven to have connived with unscrupulous politicians to compromise the electoral process and ensure they face the full wrath of the law.
