Elections and
election Laws in most countries draw their domesticated standards from
international norms and conventions guiding Electoral Standards.
Two principal
sources of these norms are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Our democratic
rights as subscribed to by Nigeria as a State Party, inclusive of similar
rights we draw from charters in the AU and ECOWAS which are reflected in the
democratic rights of all Nigerians guaranteed constitutionally informs us to
ask the following questions:
Given the current
misuse and abuse of the Police and security forces, should Nigerians see the
Police and Security operatives as a national police or a partisan militia?
Should a partisan
militia be accorded the respect and recognition afforded only to Policing
authorities that comply with the UDHR and ICCPR?
Are the recent
activities of the Nigerian Police under IGP Idris not similar to those of a
partisan militia?
Can such a
militia provide credible election security or become a hindrance to free and
fair elections?
Shall political
opposition given the current and possible actions anticipated of such a
partisan militia not provoke an arms race by political groups who may feel that
an illegitimate use of force cannot be obeyed?
What does the
above portend for elections in 2019?
Nigerians must
find urgent answers and remedies to the abuse and misuse of the national police
for partisan objectives.
Return Nigeria to
True Federalism: Support only those who support restructuring.
***South-South Study Group.
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