By Gideon Ayodele.
The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye has condemned the massive deployment of the military forces in the just concluded national elections.
The lawmaker urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain unbiased to all candidates and parties during elections.
Melaye stated this in a motion raised on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday which was also co-sponsored by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South), Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Senator Clifford (Edo Central), Senator Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central), Senator Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti South), Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central).
Conscious of the need to grow the nation’s nascent democracy through the institutionalization of procedures, application of civil laws and the restriction of excessive use of military force in the civil affairs of the state, the legislator laments the growing militarization of Nigeria’s electoral process, and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the institutional umpire – the INEC, especially as witnessed in the recent national election 2019 where the presence of the use of extreme military force akin to a war campaign was applied in electoral polling stations, and the declaration of ‘inconclusive elections’, as a term being used inconsistently, and partially at the whims of electoral officers in occasions that appear solidly as similar cases.
He also raised concern that this extreme militarization of a democratic electoral process, and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in matters of national elections pose serious threats to our democracy, and has security implications that must be nipped in the bud.
Senator Dino Melaye persuaded that the nation is on the edge of a precipice, and our democracy can be saved for future posterity, if only we can build strong institutions that can operate within established laws, and with our military forces restricted to their traditional roles of defending the nation.
The senate resolved to urge the INEC to ensure the unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias. The Senate directed the Senate Committee on INEC to investigate all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in the 2019 Elections, and to urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to accent the recent Electoral Act into law to ensure a level playing field and adoption of equal standards in our national elections.
