Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye & Romanus Ugwu Abuja
The Presidency has explained the shoot on sight order issued by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the order was meant to send a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country.
Shehu who said no one had anything to fear from the president’s comments if their conscience and intentions are clear, recalled that in some past elections in parts of Nigeria, innocent voters lost their lives while ballot boxes were being snatched by armed thugs.
“Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers. Their modus operandi is well known; they storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury.”
He added: “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections, must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.”
He noted that President Buhari had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment, and should be praised rather than criticised for issuing the warning to potential ballot box snatchers.
Meanwhile, INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, while disagreeing with the directive said there is no going back on the February 23, 2019 elections.
At a parley to update Nigerians on the progress made by the commission ahead of this weekend’s poll, the electoral umpire boss said: “The position of the order of the shot at sight is that the violators of the Electoral Act should be punished according to the provisions of the Electoral Act.”
Yakubu equally reacted to speculation on the invitation of the commission’s officials by the Department of State Services (DSS), the INEC chairman dismissed such arrest, saying no INEC Commissioner was picked up by any security agency. While giving update on the readiness of the commission for the poll, he said: “By Monday evening, all issues relating to the delivery of the materials were identified and virtually addressed. Ballot papers, result sheets and a host of non-sensitive materials are now in location across the 37 states of the Federation and the FCT.
“Our state offices commenced the process of inviting stakeholders to the Central Bank of Nigeria to examine the retrieved materials deployed last week and to witness the dispatching of materials according to Local Government Areas. This is ongoing at the moment and is expected to be completed today (Tuesday) February 19, 2019.
“The movement of materials to LGAs for batching according to Wards and Polling Units shall take place on Wednesday and Thursday February 21, 2019. A11 Registration Area Centres (RACs) are to be activated by 9.00am on Friday February 22, 2019. Personnel and materials should be at the RACs by mid-day on Friday February 22, 2019.
“Refresher training for ad hoc personnel should take place at the RACs on Friday February 22, 2019. Personnel and materials must arrive at the Polling Units latest 7am on Saturday February 23, 2019. Opening of polls nationwide will take place at 8am on Saturday February 23, 2019.”