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Outcry in Nigeria over election ‘militarisation’ ahead of next ballot

Muhammadu Buhari
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Rights groups have gone on the offensive over the deployment of the military in Nigerian elections as a new polling day looms.

With elections due on Saturday for governors in 29 states and local assemblies, campaigners say the military cast a dark shadow over last month’s vote for the presidency and legislature.

Two lobby groups, the Save Democracy Women (SDW) and Impact Future Nigeria (IFN), staged a peaceful protest in Abuja on Wednesday over what they called “the militarisation of the 2019 general elections”.

IFN convener May Uneku blamed last month’s low voter turnout – just 35% – on the heavy presence of troops in the streets.

“We condemn in totality the involvement of the military in our elections,” she was quoted as saying in local media on Thursday.

“During the just-concluded polls, people were killed. The elections were a total charade because there are video and pictorial evidence of people screaming for their lives, military men were harassing and shooting people.”

The February 23 vote, which also chose legislators for the National Assembly, was marred by violence that claimed at least 53 lives and many more wounded.

Civil society monitors said they also recorded instances of soldiers blocking voters from getting to polling stations in the south.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose beaten presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is challenging the result, has also questioned the use of troops.

The army has no official role in providing election security but can provide armed back-up to the police if required.

In the runup to the vote, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered soldiers to be “ruthless” with ballot box snatchers.

The 76-year-old former military ruler warned anyone who tried to disturb voting risked his life.

That ruffled feathers in the opposition camp, sparking accusations that it was a “licence to kill” and calls for the order to be withdrawn.

But army chief Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai said his men would obey their commander-in-chief.

The PDP cautioned Buratai against dragging the military into politics – a sensitive issue in Nigeria where there have been six successful military coups since independence in 1960.

It described Buhari’s order as “an aberration of Nigerian laws and a recipe for crisis”.

Buhari insisted his directive was meant only for trouble makers and election riggers. Buratai has again repeated the military is “apolitical”.

In southern Rivers and Bayelsa states in the heart of the oil-rich but volatile Niger delta, an army officer and three soldiers were killed, sparking fear of reprisals among the people.

In one instance, Rivers governor Nyesom Wike accused the military of complicity in the killing of 16 people in Abonnema while dozens have been arrested.

He said soldiers had laid a siege on the riverine town, forcing thousands to flee to Port Harcourt, the state capital.

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