2023: Governors Are To Blame For Violence — IGP

Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, has stated that some state governors exhibit political intolerance, which contributes to violence in the country’s electoral process.
“We have been receiving reports of some state governors encouraging political thugs and sub-national security outfits under their control to disrupt seamless and statutorily guaranteed campaign activities of parties or candidates with whom they hold opposing political views,” the IGP said yesterday at a meeting with political parties and other stakeholders at Force headquarters in preparation for the 2023 general elections.

“In so doing, they deploy their powers and influences to either prevent the mounting of campaign bill boards or pull them down, while also denying political opponents of spaces to undertake their campaigns or peaceful political congregations in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (As amended).

“Most of the recorded violent incidents or threats often result from political extremism, misinformation, intolerance, wrong political orientation, hate speeches, incitement, and, most importantly, the desperation of strategic actors within the political field who often place their parochial political ambitions over and above national security interests and our nation’s stable democratic order.”

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To checkmate this resort to violence, the IGP said: “INEC should take decisive actions against candidates and parties that violate the Electoral Act in the areas of conduct of political parties, candidates, and other actors in relation to hate speeches; campaign funding regulations; encouraging, supporting, or inciting violence; and depriving political opponents of basic electoral rights guaranteed under the Act”.
On how the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies planned to tackle electoral violence, IGP Alkali said: “We have resolved to enhance intelligence gathering, sharing and utilization of same to stem acts of political violence; upscale the deployment of security teams to all INEC assets and facilities nationwide, with teams drawn from the Police, Nigeria Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Civil and Security Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the Federal Fire Service.

“Take decisive, lawful action against purveyors of hate speech, incitement to violence, mobilisation of thugs and other violations, including the prompt arrest, investigation, and prosecution of offenders, in line with the provisions of Sections 92 and 93 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended. Those already arrested will face prosecution.”

Continuing, the IGP said: “This meeting with the leadership of the 18 registered political parties in the country became expedient, following a noticeable trend within the national political space which, if not promptly addressed, could evolve into a potent threat to not just our national security but the electoral process.

“Drawing from the experiences of the past, electoral violence, both in the process leading to an election as well as the fall out of elections, has always constituted the most dangerous threat to our democracy. Political violence manifest in three forms.

“First is violence that is targeted at the personnel and assets of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as recently witnessed in Ogun and Osun states.

The second form of political violence manifests in the form of inter-party intolerance and violence which often become particularly pronounced during campaigns, elections, and post-elections phases.
“It is on record that not less than 52 cases of such politically-motivated, intra, and inter-party violence have been recorded across 22 states since the official commencement of campaigns for the 2023 general elections on September 28, 2022.

“The last form of political violence relates to the conduct of some state governors who manifest traits of political intolerance which often inflame political tension.”

But Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, agreed with the IGP.

He said: “We must say that we are disturbed about certain vibes coming from a number of states. Why are we disturbed? Is because a number if individuals are trying to hide under certain guise to strangulate the democratic space.

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”Where you go and make certain laws to contract that freedom at a time like this that Nigerians need that freedom, the freedom that we need is much more important to us than any other time.

“So when you see states bringing in certain vibes to either make it difficult for people to be able to reach out to the electorate or make it difficult for people to visit their state and campaign, that cannot be in line with the principles of democracy.

“You saw what happened to PDP when we traveled to Kaduna, individuals came to the arena and started unleashing some form of terror to those who have come to listen to their preferred presidential candidate, they were chasing them away because they are afraid of the number of crowds that have come.

“In Kaduna you saw the number of individuals that were injured and vehicles destroyed. It is better we allow people no matter who they are to come campaign and go, then you can come and talk your own. It’s talk your own, I talk my own.

“So the IG needs to take it a step further beyond mouthing it, although we must commend him for what he did in Borno, when, of course, he tactically disagreed with the Borno State command, that not even investigated what happened and came out with a verdict that nothing happened, even when the cameras have shown the number of vehicles destroyed.

“We trust that this IG will be in a position to do the right thing. Don’t forget that he was here as a commissioner and while he was here, he also showed a lot of integrity.”

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