Osun guber: FG violating Electoral Act on hooded security agents -CDD

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has accused the Federal Government of violating the provisions of the Electoral Act particularly on the use of hooded security operatives parading the state capital, Osogbo and causing panic among the residents.

CDD Director, Idayat Hassan said yesterday in a statement that the heavy presence of security operatives in Osun for the election has heightened tension in the State especially last Wednesday when the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) paraded the streets of Osogbo in show of force with over 40 Toyota Hilux vans without number plates and shooting sporadically into the air including along Olaiya and Oke-fia roundabout causing panic for the residents.
Her call was coming on the heels of the High level Stakeholders meeting for governorship candidates, traditional rulers and religious leaders in the state organised by the CDD and the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) Project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last Thursday in Osogbo where contenders and other stakeholders gave assurance of peaceful conduct during the election and sign an undertaking to the effect.
“Besides, the trend of wearing mask has been hitting deep into the security system in Nigeria as there were cases of DSS operatives, Civil Defence personnel and army officers wearing masks at junctions and inside trucks in Osogbo on Saturday. This is in contravention of Section 95 (4) of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) which states: “Masquerades shall not be employed or used by any political party, candidate or person during political campaigns or for any other political purpose.” By inference, hooded security personnel can be taken as masquerades because their identities are not known and this can further aid violence as anyone could hide under the cover,” Hassan said.
While saying that though President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday at the PDP Governorship Rally in Osogbo promised not to condone electoral violence which led to the death of 10 National Youth Service Corps members shortly after the 2011 general elections, she wonder if militarization of Osun State towards the election constitute proper policing?
She said: “However, it worthy of note that election is a process and not a day event. The exposure of military men in electoral affairs is uncalled for and as such requires urgent cause for caution in our democratic culture so as not to jeopardize the political system. Besides, the presence of military personnel during polls is not supposed to intimidate voters from performing their civic duty of franchise.”
She therefore urged the Federal Government and particularly the President to rise to the occasion of bringing sanity and discipline to the security system in Nigeria adding that attempt to provide security should not jeopardize the democracy.