The Secretary/General of the United Nations
H.E. António Guterres
Thru: UN's Abuja Office
Diplomatic Drive
Central Business Area
Area 1, Garki Abuja.
Sir,
POLICE SIEGE ON EKITI: NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL
Democracy in Nigeria is again being confronted by massive attack launched by security agents employed and funded by the country to protect the citizens and safe guard the nation's territorial integrity. Yesterday the world saw an appalling form of impunity and brutality against innocent citizens in Ekiti State apparently in a last ditch effort to sway the results of this Saturday's gubernatorial election in favour of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Kayode Fayemi.
The rally (road walk) organized by the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not only disrupted with noxious and harmful gas, Fayose was forcefully restricted to the Government House - where he was equally gassed. This renewed intimidation, harassment and attacks against leaders and members of an opposition political party in Nigeria, has compelled me to alert you of the threat to peace and democracy in the country as amply demonstrated by the highhandedness and open display of intolerance by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against opposition political parties in Nigeria.
There is, therefore, urgent need for the United Nations (UN) under your leadership to intervene to prevent the ongoing gross violation of the fundamental human rights of citizens to assemble and the brutal attacks against the person of Fayose and hundreds of supporters of the PDP, who had congregated for a grand finale rally in favour of its candidate in the Election, Professor Olusola Eleka, only to be driven back to their houses by the police through the use of tear gas and live ammunitions. Note that the police were recently deployed to the State by the Federal Government under the guise of maintaining law and order before, during and after the Saturday election. Regrettably, the police deployed to the state in addition to the officers and men in the Ekiti State Police Command have now turned to be an army of occupation.
The ongoing police siege on Ekiti State by 30,000 fully armed policemen in the guise of election duty is nothing but a well-orchestrated security crackdown on innocent citizens who are hoping to be allowed to cast their ballot on Saturday and participate in electing the next governor of the state. It has been established by several UN Conventions and human rights' charter that the right to vote and be voted for is an inalienable right of a citizens of any country. For the a avoidance of doubt, the number of police personnel and equipment deployed so far for the Ekiti election include a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in charge of operations, Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Four Commissioners of Police, eight Deputy Commissioners of Police, 30,000 fully armed policemen, two patrol surveillance helicopters, 5 additional armored personnel carriers, 10 amoured personnel vehicles and 25,000 police patrol vehicles. The above represents police deployment. Other security agencies will yet make similar deployments.
Recall that the All Progressives Congress on Monday organized its own grand rally at the Ekiti Township stadium in Ado Ekiti to market its governorship candidate, to the electorate. Note that the APC's rally which was attended by Buhari and several APC Governors and leaders from across the country, was highly successful without no iota of obstruction nor disruption. It is therefore curious that in less than 24 hours after the APC's rally, security agents working on the orders of the Inspector General of Police did not only disrupt a rally organized by the PDP in favour of its governorship candidate, Professor Olusola Eleka, the incumbent governor was restricted to and teargassed inside the Government House. If a sitting governor can be brutalized and teargassed, then who is safe in the country?
Permit me to say that Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, provides 90 days for the commencement of campaigns by political parties and end of same 24 hours before polling day. Besides, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission's Time Table and schedule of activities for the Ekiti State Governorship Election 2018, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu and published on October 5, 2017, the last day for campaigns in the Ekiti State gubernatorial poll is Wednesday 12th July, 2018, which is clear 24 hours before the poll scheduled for Saturday July 14, 2018. Under this circumstances, is the Police justified in disrupting the planned rally of the PDP on Wednesday July 11, 2018 with brutal force?
I hereby call in the UN to order a high-powered independent enquiry into the manifest intransigence and unlawful act of the police against a civilian population comprising mostly of women and the elderly citizens who were freely exercising their right to assemble and support a political party and candidate of their choice. The investigation should among others, determine whether the procession or rally planned by the PDP for its candidate, Eleka, was in tandem with the guidelines and campaign timetable of the INEC for the Ekiti Governorship election. And if it was being conducted within the days allotted for campaigns by INEC, was the police legally justified to have tear-gassed and dispersed the PDP supporters; restricted and confined Fayose to the Government House after being equally gassed?
The UN has the duty to ensure that this police anomaly is speedily and properly investigated and appropriate sanctions meted out to officers and men found wanting in order to prevent a recurrence of such anti-democratic tendencies, bestiality, intimidation, harassment and willful infliction of harm on innocent Nigerians with the use of noxious fumes. The oppressive tactics employed by the police against the people of Ekiti have no place in a democracy as it is indicative of the worst form of dictatorial and totalitarian regimes. The indiscriminate use of military-styled assault weapons on an unarmed civilian population, who were exercising their constitutionally protected civil and electoral rights in a most responsible manner must be remedied with the strictest of sanctions. There is ample and indisputable contextual photo and video evidence to support the claims made by the victims of the police attack, including Governor Fayose who are will to testify to aid the investigative work of the Fact-Finding Commission of Enquiry to be set up by the UN.
I dare say that the unlawful use of the police against innocent citizens and members of the opposition PDP in Ekiti is a direct manifestation of the level of desperation of the APC and the present administration to win the Ekiti Governorship election. Let me add that had ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP be this desperate in 2015, Buhari and APC would never have tasted power. Impunity has overwhelmed us in Nigeria. And we need help to ensure that our democracy and voting process is devoid of harassment, intimidation and undue influence by the government. If the open display of barbarity by the police in Ekiti State, is anything to go by, one can safely say that a worse fate awaits members and leaders of the opposition political parties during the 2019 general elections. The UN and by extension the world cannot afford to condone this open aggression against a peaceful people gearing up to elect a governor of their choice! This is why I am calling on you to come to the aid of Nigeria in this dark hour of massive security crackdown against the people of Ekiti State. Otherwise, chaos and anarchy may soon reign in an unimaginable way should the people now pushed against the wall be forced to resort to self help to defend themselves. If a Governor can be treated in such shabby and inhuman manner, then where lies the hope for the common man on the streets?
Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.
God bless Nigeria.
Yours sincerely,
Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555
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