Three days to the Anambra Governorship election, the Civil Liberties Organisations (CLO) has expressed concerns that the Saturday poll, may not meet the standards of free, fair and violence-free election that will reflect the popular democratic will of the people and residents of Anambra State.
In a press statement signed by the Executive Director of the group, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike and made available to Skytrend News, it recounted the tragic incident that happened in November 2, 2013 at the Holy Ghost Adoration crusade stampede at Uke, Anambra State that resulted in the unfortunate death of about 30 worshipers.
The group is particularly worried about the highly charged, tensed and contentious atmosphere in which political parties have been conducting their electoral campaigns and the bitter rivalry, accusations, counter accusations and petty mudslinging between and among contending parties, which in its opinion is presenting a frightening foreboding that all may not go well come Saturday, the day of the election.
It stressed that rather than the unfortunate incident be a cause for genuine concern for political parties with a focus to finding out what actually happened and ensuring accountability and redress and finding out measures to avert such avoidable tragedy in the future, it has made it a partisan political brickbat and quest to gain political advantage.
The group further decried the troubling report that a local goverment council Caretaker Committee Chairman was found with fake electoral materials which it describes as “high level of desperation among political actors across political divides in the Anambra election in their bid to win by all means and at all cost.”
It condemned the recent issuing of a ‘public statement' by one – ‘G8 Rights Group’ in which they included the name of the Executive Director of CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, as a signatory to the statement without his knowledge and consent.
The state reads, “The Civil Liberties Organisations (CLO) is seriously concerned about the clear signs that the Anambra State Governorship election which comes up this Saturday, November 16, may not meet the standards of free, fair and violence-free election that will reflect the popular democratic will of the people and residents of Anambra State. We are worried about the highly charged, tensed and contentious atmosphere in which political parties have been conducting their electoral campaigns.
“The bitter rivalry, accusations, counter accusations and petty mudslinging between and among contending parties, altogether, present a frightening foreboding that all may not go well come Saturday, the day of the election,” he added.
The statement continued, “We have taken particular note of one – ‘G8 Rights Group –which claims to be a coalition of 8 civil society organisations 'engaging the electoral processes in Anambra state. But their partisan posture is hardly veiled considering their prejudiced commentaries and activities.
”What clearly exposes their hypocrisy and portrays them as dubious- and this is our major concern- is their recent issuing of a ‘public statement' in which they included the name of the Executive Director of CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, as a signatory without his knowledge and consent. In the statement, while brazenly defending the APGA governorship candidate on the unresolved allegation of double registration, the mercenary group was pouring invectives on candidates of other political parties. Clearly, CLO cannot dabble into such partisan misadventure,” it added.
The group also condemns the worrisome dimension of the abusive deployment of security forces against political opponents and perceived enemies which it said was illustrated by the report of the brutal attack on MASSOB members in Onitsha by members of a joint security task force a day after MASSOB disowned the claims by the impostor who claimed to be speaking for MASSOB and caution that such development is very disturbing and worrisome.
It warned that CLO is not a partisan organization while stressing that the organization must remain neutral in utterances and actions.
“CLO is non partisan and does not support any particular political party or candidate in any election. We need to stress this point because of things that have happened in the past and are happening again in Anambra State, this time, in the context of the Anambra governorship election. Standard human rights practice is characterised by Non- Partisanship. We must remain neutral as an organisation in our utterances and actions. While individual members of human rights organisations may harbor sympathy for any political party, but in their actions and speech, such sympathy must be surrendered to the organisational position”, the statement stressed.
The group further calls on all registered Anambra citizens and residents to come out en-mass on Saturday and exercise their franchise of freely voting to elect the Governor of their choice without any hindrance.
”We call on the leaders of INEC and security agencies to demonstrate their commitment to free, fair, peaceful and credible election. In particular, INEC must address all outstanding contentious issues that are likely to disrupt the election. INEC must also ensure timely delivery of electoral materials.”
It urged the police and other security agencies to guarantee safe and secure environment for the people to freely discharge their civic obligations and warns that they must effectively police the elections in a non partisan and professional manner.
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