At the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 25 in Abuja, National Security Adviser (NSA) and co-chair of ICCES, Babagana Monguno, sounded a stern note of warning to those with the intention to disrupt the coming Anambra governorship election to have a rethink.
The NSA, who used the opportunity to also advise security personnel not to engage in any act that would tarnish the image of the security agencies or harm the electoral process, said security agencies would not sit idle and allow anyone to disrupt the election, even when they have been charged to act professionally.
“I want to reassure the general public that the security agencies are going to do everything within their power to ensure that the people of Anambra State undergo this exercise without any incident.
“In the same vein, I want to offer a word of brotherly advice to our brothers and sisters in Anambra State who may want to use means, methods that are unorthodox and that are unusual to destabilise an already delicate situation, to please, think again.
“We are all eager to achieve results in this election that will be acceptable to everybody.
“I don’t think it will be helpful for anyone to go out and ignite something that might cause pain for the good people of Anambra State, under whatever disguise. Please think again.
“The law enforcement agencies, in as much as they have agreed to operate in accordance with the requirements of their profession, will not sit by idle.
“We will not allow people to start looting, destroying public property, and resorting to not just intimidation, terrorising people, possibly arson and even homicide.
“This will not be accepted. The law enforcement agencies have been asked to watch out for such elements,” the NSA said.
Just a day after the ICCES meeting, Monguno chaired the General Security Appraisal Committee (GSAC) meeting, where he reiterated his call for a peaceful election in Anambra.
He also stated that the people of the state had the fundamental right to vote and choose whoever they want to choose as their governor and, therefore, cannot be denied that right.
“The people of Anambra should not be put in a situation whereby they are reluctant to come out and vote.
“Ours is to instill confidence in the entire South-East, particularly in Anambra State, to make sure that those who want to come out and vote do so peacefully and in a secure atmosphere,” he said.
The meeting, which was attended by the service chiefs and heads of other security and intelligence agencies, also saw the commissioner of police in Anambra State, Echeng Echeng, brief the GSAC on the level of preparedness of his command for the election.
Again, Monguno used the opportunity to charge security agents to be professional and abide by the laid down status.
It is obvious that security during the coming governorship election in Anambra State is being given serious attention by the government, and it is not hard to see why.
As important as an election is everywhere in the world, it is erroneous to have a preconceived negative feeling towards its outcome.
This is not to say elections do not usher in a measure of anxiety among the people, but in today’s Nigeria, the fear of violence has been wrongly ascribed the precursor to electoral activities.
This is partly because the population is fed with inciting messages by politicians and non-state actors, which are wrongly processed as a sign of sinister things to come.
In the case of Anambra, there is the threat to disrupt the electoral process by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group.
Already, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has appealed to IPOB to reconsider the seven-day sit-at-home order in the South-East from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 to enable a free and fair election in Anambra.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterates its solidarity with any group that protests the Igbo alienation in the project Nigeria with a caution for restraint, maturity and wisdom. It is based on the foregoing that Ohanaeze adopts the philosophy of dialogue and negotiations,” the group said.
Also, Enugu State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Goddy Madu, said IPOB’s directive was a call to anarchy.
“Boycotting Anambra election is a call to anarchy because in a democratic setting, when you block elections, you give room for all manner of crises,” he said at a special prayer for the South-East.
Like the NSA said, the fundamental right of the people of Anambra to choose their next governor should not be denied by IPOB or any such individual or organisation.
The onus is therefore on the good people of the state, politicians and other citizens alike, to strive to imbibe the virtues of patriotism, credibility, civility and integrity before, during and after the election.
Therefore, making the coming Anambra election fair and violent-free is a collective responsibility.
Politicians, the media, civil society organisations, security agencies, the electoral body and the entire people of Anambra State are major stakeholders in determining the peace and success of the election.
Thus, as stakeholders, everyone involved should confront with proofs, the individuals and groups instigating violence in Anambra and other parts of the South-East and resist their excesses.
Whether it is Anambra, the South-East or Nigeria at large, the public should be reasonable enough to acknowledge that the federal government already has numerous security challenges it is battling day and night to tackle.
Anambra election should not be used to escalate matters by adding electoral violence to the mix.
Irrespective of the political idea or candidate the people support, stakeholders should be mindful of the fact that a togetherness formed to unleash terror is as formidable as the one retained to forestall it.
Fighting against the same people we claim to want to liberate or trampling on any of their fundamental rights is a sign of division and deceit.
In light of what has been going on in the South-East, with the illegal activities being carried out by IPOB, it is important to note that freedom of expression, which is the beauty of civil rule, and the foundation upon which democratic tenets are built, can be abused.
This is manifested in misrepresentation of facts, rumour peddling, sensationalism, unguarded utterances and hate speech.
Of these, the use of inciting statements by state and non-state actors alike is the most grave, and unfortunately, it is a regular feature in our polity as the Anambra election approaches.
This is where the media comes in.
On the one hand, no meaningful headway can be made on national development if the media is kept in the dark.
However, on the other hand, if we are to demystify negative “election fever” and electoral violence, the media has to scrutinize newsmakers’ utterances against moral discretion, especially as we approach the November 6th date of Anambra election.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria