Before election you hired us as thugs, which we agreed wholeheartedly. You provided us with arms and ammunitions, money at regular intervals, stock of foods and luxuries of life than we can afford. We had preferencial treatment amidst other unrecognized tort. Electioneering witnessed mountainous hideous acts and atrocities with us at work. We stole and destroyed ballot boxes, injured and killed countless innocent souls, to give you maximum satisfaction and serve your purpose. We’re the crude implement used in carrying out Niccolo Machiavellii’s idea for the prince, “the end justifies the means”.
It is quite unfortunate that our memory is suddenly neglected and forgotten after election. No money is forth coming from you to us, we are now treated as stinks and filths. Without empowerment, employment or rehabilitation, you neglected us, taken our capabilities for granted.
In your loftiness, you dissemble like you’re not aware of our existence. Whereas you are mistaking, because the arms and ammunitions you gave us are neither withdrawn or recovered, we withheld all weapons and guard up our caches. What did you except us do with weapons given us? Should we bury it? Never! While there are heist to be done, ripping-off countrymen, kidnapping for ransom. Never!, we cannot bury them, rather they’ll serve as source of income as we implore them in terrorism purpose. This is survival of the fittest. At the expense of compatriots we will live to frustrate your administration and the state sure will be disastrous.
After 29 years of autocratic rule of military junta, the giant of Africa restoration to democracy in the fourth republic from 1999 till date have constantly witnessed insecurity of life and property across board. Electioneering have been the major cause of insecurity in Nigeria. Almost all the general election conducted in Nigeria featured series of violence and vices. In order to attain power and control government, desperate politicians use all available means without minding the consequences. These politicians, wolfs in sheepskins hire miscreants, criminals, torts, cultists, militants etc to inflict their opponent, disrupt the supposed smooth electoral processes and cause mayhem ahead of elections.
Political thugs as well as recalcitrant party men involve in unwholesome activities during electioneering. They invent weapons of war such as, cutlass, knife, daggers, axe, gun etc to intimidate, displace and sometimes kill patriotic electorates who are out to cast their vote to ensure their mandate stands. While these brutes have their children school abroad, they employ vibrant youths and undergraduates citizenry to execute these illicitness and atrocious act. This is why the genesis of lots violent cults and criminals gangs (Offa robbery 2018) owed their origins and existence to political campaign organizations and some political juggernauts.
During the 2023 general election, election violences reports proliferate the media. On the 25th of March 2023, Vanguard published quite number of violence that marred the election. In Cross River state, adhoc staff of INEC, Miss Glory Effiom was hit by a stray bullet after some unknown gunmen opened fire on a boat she boarded to Bakassi for election duty. However, she luckily survived due to timely intervention of rescuer who took her to University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for treatment. This fate which many had died in. In the same vein, over 50 political thugs invaded INEC collation centre at Ogoja State Constituency about 2.15am on Sunday March 19 2023 disrupted collation of results, vandalized the place, carted away election materials, phones and injured many ward Collation officers present.
In Kogi, 101 INEC officials and adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC while on their way from Kupa North and South Wards to the Collation Centre in Lokoja were kidnapped by hoodlums at about 2am on Sunday, 19th of March, 2023 at Obajana junction which is less than 20km from the state capital. 99 of the abducted staff were later rescued by the police. Three of the rescued victims who were injured during the rescue operation were evacuated to the Federal Medical center Lokoja for treatment while two of the abducted staff were yet to be released. This is disastrous.
In Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, protesters took to streets, alleged rigging of the governorship election by INEC in the state.The protest turned violent which resulted in death of one with others seriously injured. This protest when overtaken by alleged sponsored protesters led to vandalism and destruction of both public and private properties. The residence of a popular singer and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, Dauda Rarara was set ablaze in Kano by some suspected political thugs after the announcement of the gubernatorial election results by INEC. A resident in the area, Malam Yusuf said “the thugs invaded the house and started destroying valuables before setting the house on fire.”
Likewise, Yola, the Adamawa state capital was in turmoil late Sunday, March 19 after political thugs and miscreants unleashed terror on the citizens who followed the stalemate which arose from INEC failure to declare the governorship election results. Following suit, in Aguda district of Surulere, Lagos state, a woman, Mrs Jennifer Efedi was stabbed on her face by thugs who disrupted voting process. The armed political thugs with cruelty went about ballot snatching, attacking voters and preventing suspected to be oppositions from voting.
No fewer than six persons were killed with many others injured in Benue state during the Governorship and State House of Assembly electron. Security personnel were said to have shot dead six persons in Gboko area of the State for allegedly snatching ballot boxes. The six persons, who were killed at different locations by the security personnel, stormed polling units to snatch the ballot. The election violence in Edo State claimed the lives of Festus Idahosa, 33 years old, and late Mrs. Elizabeth Owie, a 43-year-old mother of three. They were killed when political thugs stormed their polling units where they had gone to exercise their civic rights during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. A team of journalists monitoring the elections were prevented from entering the community by the rampaging thugs. Some of the corps members and other electoral officials, who scampered to safety while security agents looked on, were attacked by the thugs, with some sustaining injuries, why about three BVAS machines were destroyed.
Election violence and political thuggery have negatively impacted security of the country keeping everyone in perpetual fear. Despite being security conscious, the constant fear of uncertainty that betide us spell a woe to us because, no one can guess what happen next minute.
Whenever election come and gone, these desperate politicians stop funding the stratum they created in the society (thugs or gangster) and could withdraw the arms and ammunition they are fortified with. These weapons of war are retained, custodial by these miscreants, which eventually afford them the wise of lucrative business or venture of robbery, kidnapping and banditry. They in turn become terror and borne in the state’s throat disrupting peace and tranquility. It is disheartening to know that those people who perpetrate evil and cause unrest in the state are political tools employ to suppress one administration and assume power.
And worst of all is the devaluation of Nigeria force and military by the executive who otherwise rode on the back of these miscreant to attain power. Giving executive pardon and directive to free culprits and later use same in winning election is undemocratic and ill speaking of our state and status of our country among comity of states from whom we borrowed democratic ideology.
The day Nigerian politicians stop assuming power with force and crooked means to accept to electioneering that records winner and loser. The day they begin to see public office as serving and ruling, accept defeat and not take election as do or die affair, that will be a good start for a new Nigeria.
– Owoyomi Moshood
300L Undergraduate, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba
