elections would have their visas banned and assets in the UK seized.
Laing gave the warning at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja to unveil
the Election Situation Room of the Civil Society Situation Room set up by
a coalition of civil society organisations to monitor the polls in Abuja.
She reminded political parties that apart from their assets being seized
in the UK, they could experience a worst case scenario of prosecution.
“We will apply this absolutely across board not directed to any particular
party; so, we are monitoring and looking out for hate speech.
“We are concerned about the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) rally which has
hate speech a lot and we will like to call that kind of thing out.
“Our two worries are on security not just on the role the police will play
to ensure peace but about the role individuals play by getting angry or
militias being paid to disrupt elections.
“Then, another worry is fake news, that is why we rely on CSOs and we will
work with them to get information,’’she said
UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr Mohamed Ibn
Chambas, thanked the CSOs for the launch of the situation room, describing
it as a good work toward the elections.
Ibn Chambas said that it showed that the groups were prepared for the
elections and ready to monitor the voting process thus helping UN with
ideas on the process in the country.
The American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, said that the
special thing with the room was not just about that CSOs would say and do
but about what every Nigerian would say and do.
“The time has come for this outside world that cares so much about Nigeria
to listen to the people of Nigeria and to see what each of them do and
then forward the results to lift Nigeria up,’’ Symington said.
Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, said that
the work of CSOs over the last years gave hope that continued
consolidation of democracy clamoured for internally could happen.
Mr Jude Illoh, Country Director of Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA),
said that though there a lot of apprehension about the election, Nigeria
would overcome it.
Illoh said that Nigeria’s democracy had experienced good progress.
“We have defied dictators, we have defied civil war and everything you can
imagine, insurgency terrorism everything thrown at us we are still
standing.
“ I can tell you that the morning after the election we will be standing
as a country, proudly Nigerians, ‘’ he said.
Mr Clement Nwankwo, the convener of the Situation room,said the situation
room would help monitor the election and give Nigerians information as it
came in order to guarantee free, air and credible elections.(NAN)