Supplementary Election: CSOs urge police to prevent violence recurrence in Kano
The Kano Civil Society Forum has appealed to the state police command to step up action to prevent recurrence of carnage in Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency that led to the killing of innocent citizens and destruction of properties during the presidential and national assembly elections.
SOLACEBASE reports that the cancellation of votes due to over voting and declaration of results under duress according to Independent National Electoral Commission led to the supplementary election scheduled for the constituency today, Saturday, April, 15th, 2023.
This was contained in an open letter addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, in charge of, Zone 1 and Kano Commissioner of Police jointly signed by President and Secretary of Kano Civil Society Forum, Amb. Ibrahim Waiya and Peter Hassan Tijjani, respectively, on Friday.
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The forum urged the police to maintain neutrality and protect the citizens from thuggery and political violence
FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE BELOW
Introduction
The Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) is the key umbrella body of over 140 registered different Civil Society
Organizations operating in Kano State, associating under a common platform with the aim of achieving human rights protection and promotion, as well as promotion of democracy and good governance.
In an effort to observe the 2023 general elections, Kano Civil Society forum (KCSF) in partnership with
Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) established the Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room, which is an independent initiative established to help in coordination between all relevant stakeholders in election management to ensure that civil society advocacy towards guaranteeing free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections is effectively achieved.
The Kano Civil Society Election Situation Room has been solely responsible for data collation and analysis, and have also received election related incident reports from over 750 observers across the 44 Local Government Areas of
Kano State during the February 25th, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as during the 18th February, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections. The two exercises were closely monitored real time together with election management agencies such as: INEC, Police, National Human Rights Commission, National Orientation Agency, Army, CSOs and the rest.
The Kano Civil Society Situation Room has for some days received concerns from CBOs and community members in Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency, the same areas where there were alleged intimidation, oppression, killings and destruction of properties, during the two previous elections in the State.
The above ugly situation has till date become a National and Global human rights violation issue, as well as made the global community, the National Human Rights Commission, International organizations, National and Local CSOs to beam their search light on Kano State, in the upcoming supplementary elections.
Here we are, with the long-awaited supplementary elections, which is scheduled to be conducted by INEC in some Local Governments, including Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal constituency.
It is against the foregoing, we call on your good office to uphold the best practices of professional conduct to proactively address any likely reoccurrence of the 25th February 2023 ugly incidences, where innocent souls were allegedly burnt to ashes.
It was a barbaric and inhuman situation that, as the lead security agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives, therefore destruction of lives and properties must not be allowed to repeat itself this time around.
We urge you to ensure that, your able men and women are not biased in their approach during the conduct of this election, as they did in the last two elections exercises, so that Nigerians and posterity shall remember you for the good work.
We wish to finally remind you that, the prime suspect at the 25th of February incidence at Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency who is also participating in the 15th of April 2023 supplementary elections under the APC, has been banned from entering Doguwa and Tudun Wada areas, as one of the bail conditions granted to him by the court.
Therefore, ensuring the compliance with this order of the Federal High Court, by the police shall in no small measure help in curtailing any tendency of the reoccurrence of the ugly incidence in the area.
No group or individual should be seen acting above the law, regardless of any political party affiliation or social background.
Signed:
Amb. Ibrahim Waiya,
President,
Peter Hassan Tijjani,
General Secretary.
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