Rival Peoples Democratic Party has alerted the governments of Nigeria, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, and other members of the United Nations General Assembly that the lack of credible, free, transparent and fair elections represents a clear and present danger to the survival of democracy in the country.
Edo State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in collaboration with Civil Society Groups in the state, representing over 2 million public sector workers across 18 local government areas as well as private sector individuals and students from several tertiary institutions across Edo State, sounded the alarm in a communique issued at the end of a peaceful non-violent protest on Thursday January 23rd, 2020.
The protest was held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Center 6 Reservation Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State capital. The theme of the non-violent protest was “Deepening Democracy In Nigeria – Signing the Electoral Law Amendment by Muhammadu Buhari.”
According to Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, Edo PDP Publicity Secretary, the protest was aimed at reinforcing the previous protests nationwide which rejected the Supreme Court’s unjustifiable ruling in the Imo State governorship election that upturned the election of PDP’s Emeka Ihedioha in favor of the ruling party APC’s Hope Uzodima as Governor of Imo State.
PDP said it was also aimed at highlighting the need and exigency of signing the electoral law amendment by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, which is believed, will substantially eliminate electoral malpractices, in the country.
“The Imo State ruling is a clear misuse of judicial authority and a usurpation of the statutory duties of the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP said.
Below is full text of the communique:
A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A PEACEFUL AND NON-VIOLENT PROTEST ORGANISED BY THE EDO STATE CHAPTER OF THE PEOPLES’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PDP, HELD ON THE 23RD OF JANUARY, 2020, AT THE NUJ HOUSE, RESERVATION ROAD, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE.
INTRODUCTION
The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in collaboration with Civil Society Groups in Edo State, which represents over 2 million public sector workers across 18 local government areas as well as private sector individuals and students from several tertiary institutions across Edo State, held a peaceful non-violent protest on January 23rd, 2020.
The theme of the non-violent protest was “Deepening Democracy In Nigeria – Signing the Electoral Law Amendment by Muhammadu Buhari”. It was aimed at reinforcing the previous protests nationwide which rejected the Supreme Court’s unjustifiable ruling in the Imo State governorship election as well as highlighting the need and exigency of signing the electoral law amendment, which will substantially eliminate electoral malpractices, in Nigeria. The Imo State ruling is a clear misuse of judicial authority and a usurpation of the statutory duties of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Article 27 of The Declaration of Human RIghts, adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly on the 10th of December, 1948, recognizes the integral role that transparent and open elections play in ensuring the fundamental right to participatory government.
To this end, Nigerians have suffered undue hardship during elections because the processes, from the ballot box to the tribunal rulings are subject to manipulation and shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
It is critical therefore, to bring to the attention of the federal government of Nigeria and the governments of the United States of America, The United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and other members of the United Nations General Assembly, that there are no credible, free, transparent and fair elections in Nigeria.
That there is a clear and present danger to the survival of democracy in Nigeria if the electoral laws and processes are not reviewed to suit transparent and open processes.
Especially in stand-alone elections, the type taking place in Edo in 2020, the APC federal government have reduced elections to battle grounds where APC candidates are assisted with government apparatus to intimidate opponents, manipulate results and enforce illegality.
RESOLUTIONS
In the course of the protest, participants agreed on the following:
1. That the state of stand-alone and general elections conduct in Nigeria is dangerous and worrisome. Despite efforts by the civil societies, electoral monitors and political parties to observe free and fair elections processes, the ruling APC and President Buhari have chosen to use the Judiciary to upturn election results in their favour, when they are unable to introduce self written results at collation centers, induce voters with money and force voters to vote for them at the polling units.
2. That the Judiciary has become a rubber stamp of the executive to the extent that Nigerians now openly challenge the supremacy of the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of legal entanglements, and this is a recipe for anarchy if unchecked.
3. That similar to the protests which took place nationwide on Sunday January 19th 2020, we are calling on the Supreme Court to reconvene and review the ruling on the Imo State governorship election case, which was ruled in favour of Hope Uzodinma, who came 4th in the figures released by INEC, as the statutory commission empowered to conduct elections in Nigeria.
4. That based on the extant amendments to the electoral law of 2015, Nigerians and Edo People are generally in agreement that when effected, the amended electoral law will ensure free and fair elections across the country, and therefore resolved to call on the President to, as a matter of urgency, sign into law the amended act, and avail Nigerians their universal adult suffrage as guaranteed by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
CONCLUSION
We believe that only the people should be empowered to elect their leaders. The legalizing of the card reader will eliminate the absurd judgements where votes recorded surpass number of accredited voters and the law will turn a blind eye to this obvious anomaly.
#SignAmendedElectoralBill
Signed
Chris Osa Nehikhare
SPS PDP EDO STATE
