Senate condemns militarisation of 2019 elections

The Senate on Wednesday condemned the militarisation of the 2019 election, even as it described the trend as dangerous for the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

The session, which later became stormy as the lawmakers adopted partisan mode, however, directed the Senate committee on Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), to carry out a thorough investigation on all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC at the just concluded general elections.

The adopted motion was moved by Senator Dino Melaye, who had last week obtained the leave if the Senate for the motion.

The chamber asked the President to provide level playing field and equal standards in future elections, while also urging President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the recent Amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act.

It also urged INEC to in future elections, ensure unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias to a candidate or a party.

The motion was co-sponsored alongside Melaye by seven other lawmakers who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).

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In his lead debate, Senator Melaye titled: ” The militarisation of the Nigerian Electoral Process and the inconsistent application of Electoral Laws by the Independent National Electoral  Commission ( INEC)”, stated  that the ugly trend of militarisation of election was witnessed  in the 2019 general elections and must  not be allowed to happen in future elections.

He alleged that such ugly incidents were witnessed in Kogi and Rivers states particularly.

According to Melaye. while the Aide de Camp ( ADC) to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, held members of opposition parties to ransom during the elections, the military, particularly men of the Nigerian Army did same to voters and INEC officers in Rivers State.

The Senator submitted: “This  extreme militarisation of a democratic electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in matters of national elections pose serious threats to our democracy, and has security implications that must be nipped in the bud;

“Persuaded that the nation is on the edge of a precipice, and our democracy can be saved for future posterity, if only we can build strong institutions that can operate within established laws, and with our military forces restricted to their traditional roles of defending the nation.”

Even though the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan ( APC Yobe North) , seconded the motion, he qualified his support for the motion on the grounds of the required legislative intervention in strengthening the Nation’s electoral process.

But trouble started when the Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi ( PDP Ekiti South), made her contributions, in which she alleged that rigging was legalised in the elections and votes buying was the order of the day.

The Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan took offence and promptly raised order 53(4) of the Senate’s standing rules to ask the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to call the Minority Leader to order.

Things got a bit rowdy when Senators thereafter took the partisan approach as APC lawmakers started shouting no more debates on the election! go to court!

Even efforts made by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to make senators debate the motion dispassionately and not along partisan lines proved abortive which made him to hurriedly put the four prayers on the motion to voice votes.

The partisan colouration of debates on the motion was further demonstrated by both the PDP and the APC senators during the voice voting as the PDP senators shouted ayes ! to all the four prayers while their APC counterparts, shouted nay! with the Senate President ruling in favour of the ayes. 

After the plenary, however, Senator Andrew Uchendu ( APC Rivers East),  expressed disappointment at the handling of the debate.

He said being a senator from Rivers state used as a reference point by Senator Dino Melaye in the motion, he ought to have been allowed to give the true accounts of what actually happened in the state during the general elections.