The police chief accused some unnamed governors of sponsoring thugs to incite violence.
Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba has decried the rising cases of political attacks on opposition parties across the country.
The police chief accused some unnamed governors of sponsoring thugs to incite violence.
SaharaReporters reported that the campaign convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was attacked in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital last week.
In Enugu and Ebonyi states, Labour Party activities and candidates have also been attacked and their campaign materials were damaged.
For instance, in Enugu, campaign billboards of Labour Party governorship candidate, Hon Chijioke Edeoga, especially around New Haven and Ogui junctions were recently destroyed by suspected PDP thugs in the state.
In Kogi, Governor Yahaya Bello has threatened to physically attack or kill members of the opposition parties who stand in his way.
But speaking during a meeting with the leaders of 18 political parties including the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore and the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Baba condemned the attacks.
Baba, however, vowed to take decisive action against hate speech, incitement to violence, mobilisation of thugs and other violations.
He said there will be prompt arrest, investigation, and prosecution of offenders in line with the provisions of Sections 92 and 93 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.
Baba said, “This meeting 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 fallout of elections, has always constituted the most dangerous threat to our democracy.
“Political violence manifests in three forms. First is violence that is targeted at the personnel and assets of the Independent National Electoral Commission 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 election on 28th September 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.
“In this regard, we have been receiving reports of some state governors who encourage 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.
“In so doing, they deploy their powers and influences to either prevent the mounting of campaign billboards 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, according to the police chief, resulted from political extremism, misinformation, intolerance, wrong political orientation, hate speeches and incitement.
Such actors, according to him, usually give the wrong direction to their party faithful, arm them, give them a wrong orientation and encourage them to resort to the use of threat, violence, and other means to frustrate competing political parties and impose their own faulty perception of politicking.
Decrying the politically-motivated violence, the Baba recalled that 18 presidential candidates publicly made a firm commitment to the nation to maintain peace and abide by the rule of law and the Electoral Act in their political activities with the signing of the Peace Accord on September 29.
He added, “To complement this, Mr. President had at various global and national platforms openly affirmed his commitment to deepening our democratic journey by encouraging the virtues of a peaceful electoral process in which the interests and wishes of the electorates take pre-eminence.
“This, ladies, and gentlemen, is the foundation of democracy, and a deviation from this standard can only engender chaos within the national security space and threaten our democratic heritage.”
Baba noted that the meeting was convened with the main agenda of engaging the political parties’ leadership on this trend and presenting a common front in addressing it in the overriding interest of national security and democracy.
He said, “In so doing, I must clearly emphasise that violence goes beyond politicking, it is a crime that is well captured under extant criminal laws, both in its planning and execution.
‘’If political thugs are armed with any sort of weapons and inspired by any political actor to advance an illegal act including attacking innocent citizens for political purpose or attacking INEC assets and personnel, or any other critical infrastructure in the country, such persons and those orchestrating them stand the risk of being brought to justice for the specific crime associated with their conducts regardless of their political affiliation, status, or ambitions.
“Beyond its impact on the political process, political violence also has a major consequence on our national security. Consequently, the Nigeria Police Force and all other national security agencies in fulfilment of their statutory obligations to the nation, remain duty-bound to initiate enforcement actions that will restore order within the political and national security systems.
“Henceforth, therefore, we shall put machinery in motion that will in the most proactive manner identify, isolate, apprehend, and bring any political actor and the foot soldiers they might be motivating to engage in violence at political rallies or any other political engagement to deserved justice.”
The police chief urged the Independent and National Electoral Commission to scale up its compliance actions towards complementing the police and other law enforcement agencies in preventing politically-motivated threats and violence.
He also said he was looking forward to an outcome that would address, in the most sustainable manner, the identified negative tendencies threatening the country’s democratic process.
Baba noted, “This requires that 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.”
The PUNCH reports that political parties applauded the meeting and measures taken by the security agencies to protect the electoral process and urged the IG to also take the message to the states.