The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) yesterday rejected the Federal Government’s plan to deploy soldiers for the elections. It described the planned deployment as an overkill.
The elections start tomorrow, with the National Assembly Polls. The presidential, April 9 and governorship and Houses of Assembly April 16.
CODER said by their training, soldiers are meant to shoot and regard opponents as enemies to be killed.
Policemen, CODER said, were, trained to warn, deter offenders before arrest and prosecution.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Ayo Opadokun, CODER said: “The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) is disturbed that Nigeria Government is about to deploy soldiers to provide security on election dates.
“First by their training, soldiers are trained to shoot and regard opponents as enemies to be killed, while policemen are trained to warn, and deter offenders before arrest and prosecution and the use of minimum force is supposed to be the last in their rule of engagement.
“Second, CODER observes, painfully, that the PDP in recent times has immorally and illegally used police officers to harass, intimidate and arrest members and officials of the opposition as it has happened in Akwa Ibom, Benue, Kwara and Oyo states respectively. While two groups are usually involved in open confrontations, only the opposition parties are hounded and harassed. This does not provide a level playing field for equitable contest.
“Furthermore, a combination of undue deployment of policemen and soldiers is certainly going to scare away many voters from coming to vote because of the intimidating presence of over-charged security agents at the various poling stations. The overkill presence will again result in another facade of voting process whereby security personnel will be greater in number than the voters.
“Also, CODER wishes to stress that government officials, including the security chiefs, have no legal power to force Nigerian voters away from protecting their votes at the various polling stations.
“Again, CODER asks the INEC to take stake-holders into confidence in the distribution of electoral materials as contained in electoral Act and comply strictly with other electoral guidelines. A transparent process and fair conduct of the election is a better guarantee to producing relatively peaceful atmosphere at the polling stations. Deploying soldiers for this civil exercise will be counter productive.
“CODER wishes to warn those who want to overuse state security instruments to intimidate their opponents to desist from such acts because they may soon discover that they don’t appear to have a monopoly of access to instruments of violence if what we read in the media is to be believed.
“CODER restates that Nigeria political operators must not undermine this unique opportunity to organise a transparent election where the will of the voters will be respected and their democratic wish will decide the winner, not the will of the people in government, or the wish of INEC officials.
