The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) is a coalition of over hundred and fifty anti-corruption organizations whose primary aim is to constructively combat corruption and ensure effective monitoring of anti-graft agencies charged with the fight against corruption and enthronement of transparency, accountability, probity towards the eradication of corruption in Nigeria.
A report by The Nation on the 6th of July 2014 relayed the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State as accusing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Chief Iyiola Omisore, of encouraging the terror culture by campaigning about with a masked guard. A picture of the candidate and his heavily marked guard is here attached, as published by the newspaper.
Based on the report, the APC as alleged the PDP governorship candidate of subtly sending a message of imminent violence with a view to intimidate the electorate, ahead of August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election in the State. The pertinent questions begging for answers under this circumstance are - who is the masked armed guard? On what grounds was he allowed in public with a mask and ammunition? What are his and Chief Omisore’s intentions? At what point should the citizens, police and the government be concerned?
This singular action raises so many fundamental questions about the level of guaranteed security in the country in general and Osun state in particular. It also undermines the effectiveness of the country’s security apparatus, when a person of Senator Iyiola Omisore, with his affinity to the seat of power and loyalty publicly pledged by the current Police Affairs minister could resort to recruiting and patronizing masked men for his security. When masked men begin to arm themselves and are spotted at campaign rallies, it turns into a potentially dangerous dimension of electioneering violence which results in a high risk factor that can derail democracy and threaten Nigeria’s corporate existence.
Desperate and inept actions of politicians must not be allowed to breach the peace and stability of the country. Hence, the leadership of security apparatus in the country are duty bound to stem this ugly trend, ahead of the August 9 election in Osun and the country’s 2015 general election.
We are therefore, by this petition, drawing the attention of your office to a dangerous trend, about to be introduced into the political landscape of Nigeria by desperate politicians. Finally, we demand an urgent full scale investigation, by the Nigerian Police force, into the identity of the masked ‘campaign security’ man in question and further enquiry into Chief Omisore’s intent on the use of masked persons at his campaign rallies. Your office is further charged to address security concerns during election campaigns and voting in the State.
We thank you for your anticipated investigation and we look forward to update on your findings, to sustain public confidence in the country’s security system.
Sincerely,
Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman