NGO urges security agencies to monitor general elections

INEC

An NGO, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI), canvassed for the establishment of a special unit in security agencies to monitor general elections in the country.

Mr Ajibola Owolabi, Executive Director, ADAPHAI, made the call in Osogbo on Wednesday.

He said that for elections to be adjudged credible and legitimate in any country, it required in depth knowledge of the democratic tenets and process by the umpire and security agents.

According to him, arbitrary deployment of security personnel to monitor elections is not healthy for the country’s democracy.

“Although democracy in Nigeria has not matured to the stage where we can have elections with light security deployment; yet, we cannot justify the militarisation of voting arenas in any way.

“Ideally, the environment where citizens exercise their civic rights should be devoid of intimidation and force, but with the peculiarities of Africa, and Nigeria especially, we still need to protect voters with caution.

“Government should look into the concept of establishing special election monitoring units within our security agencies, where we will have specially trained officers for election duties.

‘’This is the only way the electorate can be protected during elections without violating their rights and creating phobia in the minds of those not well grounded in civil process.

‘’Our security chiefs must realise that security arrangement during elections is sensitive, and clearly different in pattern to security mechanism in other situations, hence the need for thorough review,’’ he said.

The executive director has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conduct of a free and fair and credible governorship election in Ondo state.

Owolabi, who described INEC as a `clearing house’ in any democracy, urged the commission not to relent in strengthening democracy in Nigeria.