Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has criticized the order issued out to
the military and police giving them unreserved powers to kill anyone who
snatches ballot boxes during the forth coming General Elections.
Frank said While the snatching of ballot boxes is condemnable and an act
liable to severe punishment under the electoral laws, the retired General
has once again proven that he doesn’t give a damn about the country’s
laws, but would rather implement his narcissist draconian decrees to have
citizens killed, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to act for once like a
democrat.
In a statement made available to newsmen Wednesday in Abuja, Frank said
Gen. Buhari who truncated democracy in Nigeria never fought for the return
of democracy to the country, vand as such is hell bent on finally
destroying everything democratic tenets in the face of imminent defeat at
the polls.
“Never has Nigeria degenerated to this level of social, economic and
political quagmire than under this current administration, which has left
nearly 90% of Nigerians in a state of utter hopelessness and despair.”
Frank stated that Electoral Act is clear in in sections 129(4) & sections
131(1) as it relates to punishment for electoral offences, and it’s
therefore strange as to why the president would rather mull jungle
justice.
“Perhaps Mr President may as usual be unaware that the ballot boxes may be
worthless without the card readers, as without the Forms EC8A and the
Card Readers it is practically impossible to rig any election in Nigeria.
“This outright call for ballot snatchers to be killed by the military
authorities, who clearly have no business at the polling units, is another
grand plot to further disenfranchise the people and create fear to voters.
This plot is designed to finally aid and assist the ruling party in
carrying out electoral atrocities in collution with the Army authorities
under the guise of maintaining law and other, exclusive to the reserve of
the Nigerian police.
“Nigerians must wake up to the stark reality, that democracy is under
attack from a draconian leader who has no respect or recourse to the rule
of law save for his selfish gains. This can be butressed by his
lackadaisical attitude in the aftermath of unwanton slaughtering of
Nigerians in Benue state, when hundreds of citizens where killed and his
inability to direct the security services to do needful after the IG of
Police disregarded his order.”
On the alleged plan by the ruling party to deploy fake military personnel
to assist them in rigging, Frank said: “Nigerians must be aware that
there’s a grand plot already finalised by the President and the APC to arm
thugs and selected Niger Delta Militants camouflaged as real army
personnels on Saturday 23rd to intimidate voters all over the country,
with the aim of killing anybody oppose to their plan and tag these
innocent Nigerians as election riggers.
“The aim is to act as a decoy in escorting the voting materials to the
INEC state collation centre after the elections and ensuring that only APC
agents are allowed into the collation centre whilst barring any other
party from gaining access. This plot has reached its advanced stages and
Nigerians must rise up to this evil plot by a desperate President bent on
trauncating democracy by all means possible. The international community
will have themselves to blame if they fail to call this President to
order in the event of an uprising, as refugees from Nigeria will overwhelm
the world. This wicked ploy is undemocratic and wicked to say the least by
an elected President.
“Mr President must be reminded that he is a candidate in the general
elections like every other candidate of the 91 registered political
parties and as such must accept the explanations from INEC rather than
resorting to threats and intimidation of the INEC management.
“I urge Mr President to conduct himself as a democrat having benefitted
from this hard earned democracy which he never participated in bringing
back to Nigeria, save for the trauncating of democracy in 1983. He must
govern by the rule of law and be circumpstance in his utterances capable
of throwing the country into chaos.”
The Bayelsa-born political activist, however, called on the international
community to continue to keep their eyes on the happening in Nigeria
“Finally I’d like to thank the US, UK and the EU for all they have done in
maintaining the peace in Nigeria and urge them to continue with its good
works and to further beam it’s satellite on Nigeria in the wake of this
grave revelation at a time when the country prepares for its General
Elections. The desperation by this military dictator, whilst I urge all
Nigerians to remain resolute as the songs of victory for democracy is
under way and will supersede any other force.”