CISLAC demands Buhari’s comment on ballot box snatching
THE Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has demanded immediate retraction of President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers. It stated that the President’s comment could embolden trigger-happy security agents to take the laws into their hands and engender extra-judicial killings in the country.
The group expressed surprise at such statement, which it said could be a ‘potential execution order’ from the President, not minding the uncertainty in the nation’s political terrain.
“If not retracted, the President’s comment has the potential of breeding extra judicial killings, civil disobedience or disrupt law and or- der and gross killing of innocent Nigerians who would be taking part in the rescheduled February 23rd, 2019 polls.” In a statement yesterday in Abuja, its Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, noted that the group would work to uphold democracy and good governance in the country.
He noted that as a civil society group, it was at liberty to remind the President that the primary purpose of government was to promote, protect and secure human rights and fundamental freedom as contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-rufai, had in a statement, recently threatened international observers who interfere’ with the 2019 elections with ‘body bags’ treatment.