The National Human Rights Commission has announced that it intends to summon Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, Chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, for questioning about their behavior and inciting comments during the 2023 general elections.
Recall that Punch Metro reported on February 25, the day before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, that Bello allegedly directed bulldozers to demarcate a road that linked to Kogi Central Senatorial District.
This was seen as a scheme to prevent Independent National Electoral Commission officials from transporting election materials to the stronghold of his political opponent and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
MC Oluomo, on the other hand, warned the Igbos in Lagos to stay at home if they did not intend to vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressive Congress.
The NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), stated that both Bello and MC Oluomo would be summoned for questioning after reading the NHRC’s preliminary statement on the 2023 Governorship and State Assembly elections and responding to questions from reporters.
He said, “We are monitoring the cyberspace to track hate speeches and cyberbullying. Part of the sources of our information is the cyberspace. We’ll invite MC Oluomo for questioning because his statement is worrisome. I listened to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State yesterday (Saturday) and he said they are investing. But that will not stop the commission from carrying out its mandate. We will also invite the Kogi State governor for questioning over what happened in Kogi State.”
He stated that the commission deployed 600 staff human rights monitors across the 36 states to promote and safeguard human rights during the governorship and House of Assembly elections, as part of its mandate.
The preliminary report highlighted key findings from the monitoring of over 1,300 polling units by the commission’s staff, as well as reports and complaints received from Nigerians in its Human Rights Situation Room.
Ojukwu said, “The environment before the elections was fraught with tension arising from reports and allegations of threats from different political parties and their supporters concerning the elections. ethnic division and hate speeches were rife in many states, including Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Kaduna, and Rivers.
“This led to the publication by the NHRC of an Advisory on Hate Speech Based on Ethnic and Religious Sentiments and the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria on March 16, 2023.
“In Lagos, Enugu, Ebonyi, and a few other states, there were threats of violence on opposition supporters, including the use of traditional institutions, schools, and the public service. The advisory highlighted areas of concern for the commission and recommended steps to be taken by the various agencies to address the issues before, during, and after the elections.
“Compared to the Presidential and National Assembly election of February, the Governorship and House of Assembly elections witnessed a low voter turnout. in states like Niger, Kwara, Benue, and Kogi, the turnout was abysmally low and in almost all the south eastern states, the low turn out was also recorded.
“It is important to note that the NHRC in its monthly Review Forum on Human Rights and the 2023 elections have warned that the consequences of the hitches and irregularities recorded in the presidential election were capable of increasing voter apathy. It is also important to note that threats of violence before the elections may also have played a major factor.
“Our monitors reported incidents of violence, including cases of assault, vandalism, destruction of election materials and polling units in 16 percent of the polling units monitored. There were reports from Rivers state of hoodlums attacking the INEC officials and stealing the BVAS device and election materials.
“There were also reported cases of abduction of INEC Officials in Isu LGA of Imo state and attack on INEC officials in Odoakpu Ward 7, Onitsha in Anambra State. There were also various reports of attacks on polling units from Lagos, Rivers, Nasarawa, and Enugu states. In Kano State, there was a report of violence in the Rogo ward of Sabo Gari Local Government Area that led to the death of one person.
“The commission also received reports of disruption of elections in Ogbia constituency 2 in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state. This resulted in no elections in 4 wards and 94 polling units. There was also a report of ballot box snatching in Enugu East LGA.
“The commission received with great concern, the attack on the ARISE News crew at Elegushi Palace. We call on law enforcement to investigate these and other incidents of violence and bring perpetrators to book. The commission received reports of the killing of thugs in Lagos, Katsina, and Benue states, Labour Party agents in Lagos. Elections are not war and no life should be lost in the process of elections.
“Our monitors reported that there were incidents of voter suppression in 11 percent of areas monitored. 32 polling units did not have results corresponding with the number of accredited voters.
“This also suggests that there may have been cases of voter suppression or other irregularities in these units. We will investigate these incidents further to ensure that voters’ rights are protected.
“In Lagos, there were reports of disenfranchisement of voters based on ethnic grounds and perceived opposite political persuasion. This has become a worrisome trend that should be checked.
“Vote buying was reported in 14 percent of polling units monitored by NHRC monitors. Our monitors also reported 192 incidents of vote buying, which is a disturbing trend in our electoral process. The Commission received reports of vote buying from Imo, Zamfara, Cross River, and Kano states.
“The Managing Director of Kano line was allegedly arrested for vote buying at Masaka polling unit, Kofar-Mazugal ward, Dala- LGA, Kano State. It has also been reported that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested vote buyers in Ogun and Kaduna states respectively.”
The commission monitored issues related to the conduct of law enforcement and security personnel, hate speech, election-related sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and vote buying during the election, among other things.
