Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open
\nletter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to \u201cimmediately refer to
\nthe International Criminal Court (ICC) pursuant to article 13 of the Rome
\nStatute to which Nigeria is a state party, all allegations of
\nelection-related violence, intimidation and killings between 1999 and 2019
\nfor investigation and prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization said: \u201cIt is important to do this to send a powerful
\nmessage that election-related violence, intimidation and killings will not
\nbe tolerated under your watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the letter dated 25 February 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director
\nKolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: \u201cReferral of the cases of
\nelection-related violence, intimidation and killings to the ICC would
\nserve as a deterrent and ensure that Nigerians, particularly victims in
\nthe states that have repeatedly witnessed violence and whose human rights
\nhave been violated are not denied justice and effective remedies.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the organization, \u201cThe violence, intimidation and killings in
\nsome states around the just concluded general elections suggest that the
\nelectoral law and criminal law have over the years not been adequately
\nenforced, and deterrence, through criminal sanctions, is failing.
\nElectoral violence – a species of political violence \u2013 is not only a
\ncriminal act but crimes under international law, given its widespread and
\nsystematic nature over many years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter read in part: \u201cApart from undermining the integrity of
\nelections and the democratic process, the repeated failure of successive
\ngovernments to punish electoral violence has created a culture of impunity
\namong politicians who persistently recruit and arm thugs to intimidate and
\nkill political opponents, and citizens who are simply exercising their
\nrights to participate in their own government.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe election-related violence, intimidation and killings since 1999 also
\namount to a crime against deliberation and dialogue; against participation
\nand peaceful means of settling disputes, and a blatant violation of the
\nrights to life; bodily integrity; liberty; freedom of opinion, expression
\nand association; to vote and freely choose elected representatives;
\nproperty; and to not live in fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPersistent violence, intimidation and other human rights violations
\naround elections undermine the free expression of the will of voters and
\ndiminish the opportunity of citizens to hold their representatives to
\naccount through the electoral process for their exercise of power and
\nspending of Nigeria\u2019s commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccessive governments have failed abysmally to take positive measures to
\nensure ballot box security and prevent violence, intimidation and other
\nserious violations of human rights for many years, invariably undermining
\nthe authority, independence, and efficacy of the Independent National
\nElectoral Commission (INEC) a body created to ensure free and fair
\nelections as well as obstructing and distorting citizens\u2019 right to freely
\nexercising their right to vote and citizenship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP is concerned about reports of violence, intimidation and killings
\nin many states of the country including Bayelsa, Borno, Rivers, Lagos, and
\nOyo states. At least 30 people have been reportedly killed and several
\ninjured during the just concluded presidential and legislative polls. Like
\nprevious elections since the return of democracy in 1999, the 2019 general
\nelections of February 23, 2019 have witnessed violence, intimidation and
\nkillings in several states.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP therefore urges you to move swiftly to implement these proposed
\nrecommendations as a way of demonstrating your government\u2019s commitment to
\nend the culture and legacy of election-related violence, intimidation and
\nkillings in the country, ensure prosecution of suspected perpetrators and
\njustice for victims as well as ensure the safety and security of Nigerian
\nvoters, observers and other people in subsequent elections.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also urge you to consider setting up a complementary national
\nmechanism in the form of a commission of inquiry to investigate
\nelection-related violence, intimidation and killings between 1999 and 2019
\nin order to gather evidence relating to allegations of serious violations
\nof human rights and crimes under international law and ensure the
\neffective prosecution of politicians and others responsible for arming
\npolitical thugs to commit these atrocities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCitizens are entitled to the internationally recognized right to a free
\nand fair election, expressed in the principles of the International
\nCovenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human
\nand Peoples\u2019 to which Nigeria is a state party. The African Charter has
\nbeen domesticated as part of our domestic laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEstablishing a commission of inquiry to investigate election-related
\nviolence, intimidation and killings since 29 May 1999 would help Nigerians
\nto know exactly those behind these egregious violations of human rights
\nand to bring suspected perpetrators and their sponsors to justice as well
\nas contribute to preventing and deterring such incidents in future
\nelections.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed commission should be led by a retired justice of the Court
\nof Appeal or the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The activities of the
\ncommission must be open to the public and all the governors of states that
\nhave repeatedly witnessed election-related violence, intimidation and
\nkillings should be summoned to give a public account of the number of
\nabuses that have been recorded in their states over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe commission should make recommendations including on the prosecution
\nof those found to have perpetrated directly or indirectly or are complicit
\nin committing these criminal acts and serious violations of human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSERAP also notes that Nigeria is a key member of the Economic Community
\nof West African States (ECOWAS), which has \u201caccountability, economic and
\nsocial justice and popular participation in development\u201d as part of the
\nfundamental principles contained in its Revised Treaty.\u00a0 In a similar way,
\nNigeria is a state party to the UN Convention against Corruption. Article
\n1(c) of the Convention states the purpose of the treaty as including: \u2018To
\npromote integrity, accountability and proper management of public affairs
\nand public property.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to \u201cimmediately refer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) pursuant to article 13…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n