Following reports that state governments are trying to stifle the electioneering activities of opposition political parties and their candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned such practice, saying it is ready to penalise states in which such incident are recorded,
According to INEC, all parties participating in the 2023 general elections are free to campaign in all the 36 states of the federation.
This, according to the Commission, is in tandem with the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election campaign by political parties as provided in Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The Commission, therefore, warned state governments not to prevent other political parties from campaigning in their domains.
The chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, who disclosed this while speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, said there are penalties for contravening these provisions and the law is no respecter of persons, no matter how highly placed.
Oyekanmi said the law states that airtime/space of the electronic and print media, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be allotted equally among the political parties or candidates at similar hours of the day.
Subsequently, he said if there are fees to be paid, the political parties and their candidates are obliged to pay such appropriate fees.
“To that extent, all registered political parties participating in the election are free to campaign in all the 36 states and 774 local government areas of the country, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
“It is against the law for a state government to prevent any political party from campaigning during this period. Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 makes it very clear that state apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.
“Therefore, state governments are strongly advised not to prevent other political parties from campaigning in their domains, the same way that state governments where a different political party is in power cannot prevent a particular political party from campaigning,” he said.
For instance, he said any public media that contravenes the provisions of the law shall upon conviction pay a fine of N2 million in the first instance and N5 million for subsequent convictions.
Not only that, he said principal officers and other officers of the media house shall be liable to a fine of N1 million or imprisonment for six months.
“The commission is fully committed to implementing the law,” he added.
A nationwide investigation conducted by LEADERSHIP had shown that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the states controlled by them have not allowed the opposition parties unfettered electioneering since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on campaigns for the 2023 general elections.
Apart from imposing huge fees on venues, the governors of the two parties use their signage agencies to destroy the campaign billboards and posters of the opposition candidates under flimsy excuses.
Worse still, the governors also prevent the opposition parties from having their secretariats in strategic locations. Instead, they are forced into obscure areas under the guise that they cause traffic gridlock whenever they hold their meetings.
The irony of the whole saga is that the governors allow billboards, posters and party offices of candidates of their parties in the same locations where the opposition are dislodged.
Shockingly, the APC and the PDP also persecute themselves in the states they are in firm grip.
In Ogun State, the opposition political parties have different stories to tell about the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led APC administration in the state over his disposition towards allowing their campaign billboards, posters as well as usage of public facilities for political rallies across the state.
While the state chapter of the PDP has berated Abiodun’s administration for being “wicked” against its activities, the duo of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have applauded the governor for being magnanimous and tolerant of the opposition political parties’ activities across the state.
The PDP’s state publicity secretary, Bankole Akinloye, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Abeokuta, the state capital, alleged that agents of the state government destroyed two of party’s campaign billboards mounted at Sango Ota-Ijoko road in the Ado Odo-Ota local government area, as well as another one sited in Wasinmi village, along the Abeokuta-Sango Ota-Oshodi Road, while posters in strategic areas around the Abeokuta metropolis were also torn off.
Akinloye said his party’s giant billboard mounted at Sango-Ijoko Road was destroyed a day to the governor’s visit to the local government, with the incident almost turning into a communal war when the youths of the area stormed the streets in protest against the destruction of the billboard of their candidate.
But the duo of LP and NNPP, in their comments, commended the Abiodun administration for being tolerant and not scheming towards stifling the opposition political parties as they gain more popularity in the state.
The LP national publicity secretary, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, who described the Abiodun administration as “friendly and accommodating”, noted that his political party has not been denied the usage of any public facilities since last month when embargo was lifted on political campaign activities.
Also speaking with LEADERSHIP, the NNPP state chairman, Olaposi Sunday Oginni, applauded the APC-led government in the state for providing a level playing field for all political parties to carry out their activities “without any form of harassment, or intimidation”.
Oginni disclosed that the State Signage Agency had written to his political party, instructing them of the terms and conditions for which his party must abide by to avoid open confrontation on issues of bill boards and campaign posters.
Although, there are no reports of the destruction of campaign billboards in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike on Thursday announced that he had signed into law an Executive Order 21 which make it mandatory for political parties to apply to the Ministry of Education two weeks ahead before their rallies in any public school in the state.
Wike also announced that political parties wanting to use any public school in the state for their rallies must pay the sum of N5 million to the state government for security coverage.
But spokesman of the APC campaign organisation in the state, Sogbeye Eli, described the governor’s stance as barbaric, uncivilized and anti-democratic.
Eli said: “It must be condemned by all strata of society and resisted by the citizenry. It is a resort to self-help and a breach of the Constitution, particularly at Sections 38, 39 and 40. Unfortunately, those agents of dictatorship – governors – are by this shameful behaviour forcing their political opponents to resort to self-help.
“They know that a resort to the Judiciary under Section 46 of the Constitution for the enforcement of fundamental rights is a futile chase since they have perfected the art of pocketing the Judiciary to enforce their science of political exclusion.”
On his part, publicity secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, Chief Lucky Igila, described the Executive Order 21 as a product of fear.
Igila said: “Well Executive Order 21 is one of the most un-democratic laws ever in Rivers State.
“It is actually a product fear, the fear of losing the forthcoming election has caused His Excellency, Nyesom Wike to sign an executive order believing it is going to deter the opposition parties from campaigning.
“In an election year like this all parties have the right to go about their campaigns freely, but the PDP led administration in Rivers State has decided to use state agencies to frustrate the opposition from going about their campaign freely.”
Our Billboards Destroyed On 2 Occasions – Kwara NNPP Chairman
The NNPP said its billboards were destroyed on two occasions at its secretariat along Stadium Road, off Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin.
The chairman of NNPP in the state, Alhaji AbdulSalam AbdulRazaq , who revealed this during an interview with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, the state capital, however, said he could not say who was responsible for the act.
On charging of fees for campaign venue, AbdulSalam said the party had not received any such demand.
He, however, complained that the party had on many occasions been denied the opportunity to hold meetings in public schools whereas the ruling APC enjoys the facility unfettered.
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesman of the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Tunji Moronfoye had yet to respond to LEADERSHIP’s enquiry on the issues of destruction of billboards and fee for campaign venues.
In Yobe State, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Hon Shariff Abdullahi, blamed the ruling APC in the state under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni for removing campaign billboards.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP in Damaturu, the state capital, Shariff warned against the destruction of their campaign billboards across the 17 local government areas of Yobe.
LEADERSHIP gathered that apart from the campaign billboards of Shariff, who is a gubernatorial candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, some others belonging to other candidates of the ruling party in the state were also removed.
Shariff had alleged that agents of the government were behind the destruction of their billboards and asked the governor to order them to stop or be ready for a street protest by his party supporters.
His warning seemingly went unheeded as over the weekend more APC billboards and posters as well as those of the governor were removed by people suspected to be supporters of both political parties.
A credible source within the APC in the state said, “The attention of the APC has been drawn to media reports credited to some officials of the PDP which attempt to deny the involvement of its paid agents in the destruction of our party candidates’ billboards and posters in parts of the state.
“This denial is, in our consideration, spurious and a cheap attempt by the PDP to exonerate itself from the evil and criminal agenda it is already known to perpetrate. We didn’t remove PDP billboards only. Removals affected every political party including ours,” he said.
In Akwa Ibom State, only the Young Democratic Party (YPP) among the 18 political parties registered for the polls by INEC has raised the alarm over alleged intimidation, defacing of billboards and killing of supporters.
The supporters and stakeholders warned of negative multiplier effects if such unwholesome practices continue.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, a YPP loyalists Comrade Amada Reuben, who condemned the destruction and defacing of their party’s governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Akpan, warned that “our supporters could join the fray and defend our party if there’s no level-playing field for all contenders”.
Reuben, a YPP youth leader of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area (Ward 8), described it as “undemocratic and against the rules of play” and urged security agencies to address the matter to avoid the peaceful state from being thrown into turmoil.
In the same vein, the director of Communications of the campaign organization, Chief Usoro Isaac Usoro, frowned at the incidence, saying it had raised “concern and tension in the state, but it will never reduce Senator Akpan’s popularity amongst his teeming supporters across the state.”
However, it was gathered the state government is not directly in-charge of billboards, but it contracted it out to private firms, which sublet them to politicians for sundry charges, depending on the size.
In Cross River State, the director-general, Caterpillar Movement, Mr. Joe Obi Bissong, has raised the alarm over what he described as pulling down PDP campaign billboards across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Obi made the accusation while answering questions from LEADERSHIP in a telephone conversation on Sunday.
The interview is coming on the heels of denial by ruling APC that it had not authorize the state-owned agency, Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency, CRISSA, to pull down the PDP billboards mounted by the state PDP governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor.
The DG of CRISSA, Mr Effiom Effiwat, while interacting with LEADERSHIP, denied PDP’s allegation, stressing that the agency only brought down political billboards which its owners failed to meet up with the guidelines.
But in a swift reaction to the issue, director general of PDP governorship candidate’s campaign organization, Joe Bissong, accused the CRISSA DG of lying, alleging that the state signage and advertisement agency is acting its master’s script.
“I receive threat every day from one Mr. Effiom Effiwat concerning the issue of our billboards mounted to campaign for our principal who is Senator Sandy Onor who is the state PDP governorship candidate.
In Nasarawa state, APC and the PDP have been accusing each other of billboards destruction and attacks at rival parties’ campaign venues.
The APC publicity secretary, Olawale Sadare who claimed that the party usually complied with the rules and regulation concerning the billboards and campaign venues, said government could only send political thugs to destroy billboards and campaign venues.
In Lafia, the state capital, the only event centre for political rallies and other state government function is Lafia Square.
Opposition political parties do not have access to the playground. During the recent visit of the presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to Lafia to commission the party office, he addressed party supporters at the roadside and later went to Taal Conference Hotel, Lafia, for a meeting.
Efforts to speak to the managing director of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB) were abortive as his phone number was not reachable.
Checks by LEADERSHIP in Birnin Kebbi metropolis and other parts of Kebbi State indicated that posters and billboards belonging to candidates of opposition parties were all removed by the officials of the state Urban Development Authority (KUDA).
Asked why, the general manager of the authority in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Umar Ika attributed the action to inability by the opposition candidate to obey the rules
He said most of the candidates from opposition parties have neither informed the agency officially nor paid the specified charges to the authority.
He emphasized that no poster or billboards is allowed to be placed on government properties such as roundabouts or structures without informing or paying charges of such placement to KUDA.
PDP gubernatorial candidate, Major General Aminu Bande. retired, while reacting to action by KUDA through his spokesperson Alhaji Sani Dododo blamed the APC ruling party in the state.
“This APC has already seen a failure in the forthcoming general election that’s why it doesn’t want see posters and billboards of the winning team placed on roundabouts by their teeming supporters.”
Clampdown on opposition parties by the ruling PDP is common in the area of rallies in Delta state, as well as denial of venues.
Other political parties use federal government facilities for their rallies as the state and local governments have not been allowing the use of their stadium, arcade, school fields and halls.
The APC, the major opposition party in Delta State, always use Federal College of Education (FCE,T) open field for their rallies in Asaba while it uses Federal University of Petroleum Resources, (FUPR), Warri for its rallies in Warri axis.
Engr Omeni Sobotie, APC state chairman, however, said there is no cause for alarm over that, as the party prefers even to use federal facilities, saying PDP administration will soon come to an end and that such facilities would not be censored.
But PDP publicity secretary, Mr Osuoza, claimed the facilities need to be applied for, so that money realised from them can be used for their maintenance.
Unlike some states, Sokoto state government is yet to fix charges for use of public space for campaign rallies, placement of billboards, posters and banners or other campaign paraphernalia for the coming 2023 general elections.
A source at the board of internal revenue, who spoke to our correspondent under anonymity however, hinted that, “what accrued to the state, is what advertising agencies paid to the state for erecting their billboards.
“Politicians do not pay directly into the state coffer for any billboard, placement of posters and their banners.”
The Gombe state government like many others charges politicians, especially those in the opposition, taxes for placing their political billboards in places in the state but permits pasting of posters at no cost.
However, the ruling party places its billboards everywhere, including the government reserved area, for free while opposition parties are not allowed to place political billboards, banners or own campaign offices at the government reserved area.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the minimum rate for placing a political billboard in the state is N150,000 and the price goes up depending on the sizes, while presidential billboard attracts between N200, 000 and N300, 000.
However, opposition political parties prefer to place their billboards and signboards at their secretariats because they don’t have to pay for them there.
Aside charging members of the opposition for placement of political billboards, the government of Gombe State has recently clamped down on the major governorship candidate in the state, Mohammed Barde who is a flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, by demolishing his campaign office.
The Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA) which carried out the demolition exercise explained that the demolition of the office was due to its proximity to the presidential lodge at the government reserved area.
The action elicited condemnations from PDP members and supporters in the state who described the action as victimization of the opposition. Some journalists too who covered the demolition of the PDP campaign office were arrested by the police.
PDP elders committee chairman in the state Bala Magaji, who holds the traditional title of ‘Magajin garin Gombe,’ said the action of the government was dictatorial and uncivil.
In Abia State, so far, there has been only one case of removal of campaign posters, which affected the governorship candidate of the opposition Labour Party, Dr Alex Otti.
Reacting to the development, the spokesman of the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma said the billboard was mounted at Umuikaa junction along the Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway.
Noting that members of the organizations are law abiding with utmost regard and respect for laws and constituted authorities, he added “we adhered strictly to all known guidelines for the mounting of campaign billboards.”
Speaking on the matter, the general manager of Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency, Anthony Otuonye denied the allegation, saying what was destroyed was Otti’s campaign flex banner because of the message.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the agency’s charges for billboards are as follows: presidency, N15,000,000; governorship, N10,000,000; Senate, N6,000,000; House of Representatives, N3,000,000, and state Assembly N1,500,000.
In Kano State, Malam Sagir Sani, who is a staunch member of NNPP, said at the time of filing in this report on Sunday their party was holding its first rally at Modobi road close to Sharada Police station.
He said the reason they are holding the rally outside the main city was because of lack of access to government infrastructure as most of the opposition parties are not allowed to gain access to them by the government of the day.
He said even posters that belong to their candidates are prohibited and most often destroyed by hoodlums from the ruling parties.
Sani who said he has been in politics since the Second republic described what the opposition are facing in the state as inhuman and undemocratic.
Also, Hon. Shu’aibu Musa Gezawa a stalwart of Labor Party in the state decried the unaccommodating attitude of the ruling party and for not giving the opposition a breathing space.
He said democracy ought to be a game not a war where anything that belongs to the opposition is subject to attack.
On his part, one of the image makers of the government who spoke on condition of anonymity described all the allegations levelled against the ruling APC by members of the opposition as false as every party is allowed to go about her normal activities unhindered.
“You can go out there and see things for yourself as posters and bill boards standing in the city mostly belongs to the opposition as the governor is a democrat as heart who has no time to waste on frivolities.”
The Anambra state government has fixed the sum of N10 million as fee to be paid by any presidential candidates wishing to publish/paste posters anywhere in the state.
Similarly, a public notice signed by the MD/CEO of Anambra Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA), Tony Odili Ujubuonu, said senatorial candidates would pay N7million; House of Representatives, N5 million; and State House of Assembly N1million to be eligible to paste their campaign posters.
Again, the statutory costs for out of home media and mobile advertising were pegged at N100,000 for 48 sheets billboards, N500,000 for spectacular billboards, N500,000 Gantry displays; N100,000 for irregular shaped billboards; N50,000 for branded vehicles; and N5,000 for Keke rear branding, respectively.
Everybody Pays To Use Public Facilities In Kaduna – Official
The Kaduna Market Development Management Company, KMDMC, has said both government officials, agencies, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties have to pay before using public facilities for events.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, KMDMC’s communication officer, Anthony Richard said: “Everybody pays if the person or government agencies want to use the facilities for their events. If you come to our office, you will see duplicates of receipts of payments by Kaduna state government agencies and officials who held events in those public facilities.”
In Kaduna State, there are no cases of destruction of bill boards or other campaign materials or offices at the moment. However, the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority (KCTA) has declared its readiness to close down campaign offices of any contestant who violates post-no-bill order, stressing that political parties and their supporters must comply with the order or face penalty.
The administrator of KCTA, Hafiz Bayero, cautioned political parties and supporters to use alternative materials such as polymer, vinyl, polythene banners, billboards, flyers and handbills/pamphlets instead of campaign posters.
Bayero said placing posters on public infrastructure like flyovers, roundabouts, walls, streetlights, and traffic light posts in the city is strictly prohibited.
KCTA stressed that it will not hesitate to fine the campaign offices of candidates, whose posters violate the notice.
Bayero said, “Political parties and their followers are not to deface our walls with posters and bill boards. This is to ensure Kaduna is back to its glorious days. Government has spent so much on ensuring the city looks clean. So, we are going to implement it; if you deface the walls, we will penalize your campaign office.”
The general manager, Borno State Urban Planning and Development Board, TPL Kaka Mallam Umar, the State has been without stringent rules and regulations with regards to the placement of billboards until now, but that the state governor Babagana Umara Zulum reawakened the agency towards maintaining its mandate of maintaining sanity.
Umar said the government cannot fold its hands and watch people defacing the State without sanity, hence it came out with two aims: to sanitize the state of indiscriminate location of billboards and to also generate revenue knowing that in the aftermath of any election, politicians would leave the billboards and posters for the state to go and clean them up.
Zamfara House Orders Relocation Of PDP Secretariat
At initial stage, Zamfara state Urban and Regional and Planning Board, (ZUREPB) directed the opposition PDP to relocate the party’s headquarters situated on the Sani Abacha way in Gusau, the state capital.
The situation generated tension as the Board marked the building for demolition if it failed to comply with the directive.
PDP officials claimed that proper documentation and due process were followed before it opened the office.
However, in a new twist, the state House of Assembly directed the Board to secure an appropriate location for the PDP to open an office as the present location was causing serious inconvenience to the motorists whenever an event was being held at the party office.
“Situating the PDP headquarters at the centre of the town and close to the Ministry of Finance has been causing serious concern on the motorists and also security threat to the finance ministry,” it said.
On the charges on political billboards, an official of the State Censorship Board said the sum of 40,000:00 was being charged for political billboards.
All Parties Involve In Billboards Destruction In Benue
In Benue State, LEADERSHIP observed that the destruction of political party’s billboards and banners cut across party lines.
A young man identified as Ternenge Kpandegh was arrested by the Benue Police command for allegedly destroying political billboards belonging to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspect who was alleged to be in the act of destroying PDP billboards for a while was caught red handed by some staff of Makurdi Local Government Task Force at the Wurukum area of the state capital.
The publicity secretary of PDP, Bemgba Iortyom said: “We have been suffering from such acts for a while; our billboards are often destroyed. We have lost count of how many of our billboards that have been destroyed. But before today’s destruction we had another one destroyed at Oshigbudu in Agatu, Wadata, New GRA, Wurukum and a host of others.’
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Catherine Anene declined to comment on the matter.
However, an officer who does not want his name in print told our correspondent that the suspect admitted to the crime and investigation is ongoing to unravel the mystery behind his action.
Also speaking with our correspondent on telephone, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Daniel Ihomun, said, “In recent time the party has not gotten information on billboard destruction, however before the commencement of campaigns we lost over three billboards belonging to our governorship candidate, Rev.Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.”
On the other hand, publicity secretary of Labour Party, KengKeng Ati, in a telephone interview said several billboards of the party’s senatorial candidate of Zone ‘A’ were destroyed at Ihugh in Vandeikya Local Government, while the billboards of the gubernatorial candidate and banners were also destroyed in Oweto, Apa and Makurdi LGAs among other places.
However, on the issue of increase in the price for venue to hold party activities, Ati said, “For now, they are using private facilities for the party’s activities, so they have no issue with venue.”
The major opposition party, PDP, in Plateau state has also complained of the destruction or defacing of its billboards.
According to the PDP, apart from defacing their billboards, he said the ruling APC also denied them the use of public places such as the Rwang Pam Township stadium each time they want to use the place for political rally.
The state publicity secretary of the PDP, Mr. John Akans, told our correspondent in Jos that the APC has been sending its youths to destroy PDP billboards and would not allow the party the use of the Rwang Pam Township stadium for events.
According to him, the ruling party has also made so many attempts to deprive the PDP the use of Jos Polo field which is owned and managed by an individual on flimsy excuses.
After Venue Denial, Bauchi APC Settles For Neutral Venues
After the Bauchi State Government allegedly denied the opposition APC, and its candidates the use of public fields and buildings, the party has directed all candidates to use neutral venues for their activities.
Bauchi State deputy chairman of the APC, Alhaji Mohammad Hassan told our correspondent that the PDP-led administration in the state had twice withdrawn an approval earlier given to the APC to stage an event in Azare.
The deputy chairman alleged that a director was suspended after he allowed the party’s gubernatorial candidate to hold a football final at Azare Township stadium.
He added that the Bauchi State Government directed the management of the College of Education, Azare, to withdraw the approval it had earlier granted to the party’s candidate for a public function at the college premises.
When contacted for comments, Bauchi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Barau Ningi did not respond to the phone calls placed through his line. He did not reply to the Short Message Service (SMS) sent to him as at the time of filling in this report.
CSOs, IPAC Flay State Governments
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), an umbrella body of all political parties in the country, have condemned the clamp down on opposition by some state governments, stating that it will affect peaceful elections in 2023.
According to the CSOs, security agencies must ensure that they treat political parties and their candidates equally as provided by the law of the land.
The CSOs which spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transition Monitoring Group (TMG); Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs said it condemned the clampdown on opposition in the states in whatever guise.
“We condemn political intolerance in the states. The governors have no right to clamp down peaceful campaigns organised by a political party or candidate.
“Governors must not promote intolerance. That is unacceptable. The political parties must talk to their governors to ensure that they run a peaceful campaign because these is the period such things happen.
“It is the same politicians that are giving drugs to the youth. We are calling on the youths not to make themselves available to these kinds of politicians. They should behave in a wise manner rather than attacking the opposition,” Rafsanjani said.
“Any member of a political party that engages in violence or denies others places of campaign, we are monitoring such instances and we will ensure anyone found guilty will be prosecuted.
“Security agencies should not be biased; they should provide security to every political party and candidates without bias.
“This will help Nigerians to know that the process is open. Any attempt to bring in violence will have a negative effect in the country and internally because others will mock us.
“Presently, Nigeria’s image is not good, so we must not encourage any candidate or party to engage in violence. We will work to ensure that anyone engaging in violence is prosecuted,” the CSOs added.
Also, the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) condemned the clamp down on opposition in the states adding that
IPAC said it is condemnable because it is against the right to the freedom of assembly and it is a threat to democracy.
The organising secretary, who is also the acting Publicity Secretary of IPAC, Egbeola Wale Martins, said some governors do not understand the meaning of democracy.
“Some governors don’t understand the meaning of democracy and they are beginning to be the biggest threat to our democracy.
“They have frustrated the state assembly and the local governments. That’s why people are not comfortable with the state police. If these people who cannot tolerate opposition are given state police, it will be dangerous,” Martins said.
“We are calling on all the state governors to desist from suppressing the opposition because within eight years, they will no longer be there.
“If you use power to suppress opposition, whatever you do it will still come back to haunt you because even the person you are supporting may be against you tomorrow,” Martins added.
PMB, Govs Must Protect Rights Of Parties To Hold Rallies – SERAP
A rights group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors to ensure the rights of all political parties to hold rallies in any part of Nigeria is protected.
SERAP also asked the president and the governors not to abuse the rights of candidates and political parties and their supporters to hold rallies, processions or meetings on an equal basis, and free of intimidation, harassment or threat of attack.
The organisation, which made the demands in an open letter dated October 8, 2022, and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, also called on President Buhari to publicly instruct the Nigeria Police and state security outfits to respect, protect, and facilitate the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, assembly, association, and equal participation during the 2023 general election campaigns, regardless of their party affiliation.
It further asked the President to ensure that state governors do not use the police to target supporters of opposition parties and those holding differing political views.
