L-R; Jide Wolimah and Olufemi Lawson at the Unity Fountain addressing the Media on the Bayelsa Re-run Election |
The National Frontiers, a civil society
coalition has embarked on a sit out till Sunday, 10th of January,
2016 at the Unity Fountain, Abuja on the militarization and manipulation of election
in Nigeria with focus on the coming Saturday election rescheduled Governorship election
in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa State.
The National Coordinator of the
coalition, Olufemi Lawson said that as a member of the Election Monitoring Group
in the December 5th election, he had first hand information of the
use of the military to harass the electorate. He emphasized that the Nigerian
Police should be allowed to take charge of the election while the military can
serve in the back ground rather than intimidating voters.
Military were seen aiding and abetting
people who are perpetrating electoral violence in Bayelsa State Lawson said
He also said that it is an indictment
on the military for civilians to be on military uniform perpetrating evil in
broad day light. It is in course of this the group called on the Federal
Government to ensure the re-run is void of intimidation from the military as
election is suppose to be a civil process.
The coalition said that election
must be free and fair. They kicked against what happened in the Southern Ijaw
on the 5th of December where the military aided hijacking of
election materials.
The military must not been seeing
carrying election materials with militants said Lawson.
He called on the youths not to be
allowed to be used for electoral violence as he said no life must be sacrificed
for election.
Election is a civil process and
people must be allowed to choose the leader of their choice without intimidation Lawson said.
Election not War!
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