The Independent National Electoral Commission has faulted an order from President Muhammadu Buhari directing security agents to kill ballot box snatchers during the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.
President Buhari, who is also the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress had at a meeting with the APC leaders on Monday, warned that anyone who snatched ballot boxes would pay for it with his life.
According to the President, “I am going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs, snatch ballot boxes or to disturb the voting system, he will do it at the expense of his own life.”
But speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, noted that the commission would stand by the Electoral Act which “states that persons who snatch election materials are liable to a prison term of two years or maximum fine of N500, 000.”
Yakubu added that, “The position of the commission is that all violators of the Electoral Act should be punished according to the provisions of the Electoral Act.”
Meanwhile, the Transparency International has also expressed worries about President Buhari’s order on shooting snatchers of ballot boxes, noting that it will breed extrajudicial killings during the elections.
Speaking through a press release in Abuja, the Head of Transparency International in Nigeria, Mr Musa Rafsanjani, said “if not retracted has the potential of breeding gross killing of innocent Nigerians who will be taking part in the February 23 polls.”
“We are surprised at such statement that could be a ‘potential execution order’ from the President, not minding the present uncertainty that dominates the tension-soaked political atmosphere in the country,” Rafsanjani added.
“…We must reiterate the importance of right to life as a fundamental part of human rights and we are aware that Section 128 of the Electoral Act states that “any person who at an election acts or incites others to act in a disorderly manner commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both” and specifically states that anyone who destroys, or snatches election material is liable to imprisonment for 24 months. Nowhere is capital punishment prescribed as a penalty for any electoral offence in Nigeria.”