Nigeria: A spectre looms over Nigeria’s democracy

SCREENING OF CONTESTANTS BY SECURITY AGENCIES IS DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE.

A spectre looms over Nigeria’s democracy. It is the political instrumentalisation of security agencies to carry out the regime’s agenda. It is the frightening use and abuse of security agencies and executive bodies to intimidate, silence, cow, harass and demonize real and perceived opposition to the present administration. Of late, we have received with consternation reported statements credited to the leaders of some of the agencies, notoriously EFCC, SSS and INEC, to the effect that they would screen all persons wishing to participate in the forthcoming 2007 general elections as contestants.

But for the frenzy and impunity with which this intention has been repeated in the popular media we might have readily dismissed it as the idle and confused commentaries of overzealous public officials. But this is a serious and fundamental issue, one that touches the very root of our attempts at deepening our democracy. Thus it cannot be ignored; it must be combated with every ounce of energy at the disposal of all the progressive forces in Nigeria.

To be sure, corruption is one vice that requires to be collectively confronted. Indeed, the recent sordid revelations concerning the mismanagement of public funds by the Presidency is a pointer to the need for a relentless and firm war on the monster. It follows therefore that no serious-minded and sane Nigerian can condone corruption. We as members of the civil society who have been championing the struggle for openness and transparency are certainly opposed to corruption and corrupt officials. It is on record that we have insisted, against ferocious hostility by some leading members of the present administration, that unless we pass speedily the Freedom of Information Bill and the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, the anti-corruption train would continue to move at its snail pace. Our pedigree as enemies of corruption and its supporters cannot be questioned or impugned by any latter-day hypocritical anti corruption crusader.

Nevertheless, Nigeria is a country under the rule of law and not a banana fiefdom where whims and caprices of lords are law. There are adequate laws in our statute books on how to deal with corrupt persons. None of these expressly or implicitly permit the security agencies and INEC to screen candidates with a view to determining their suitability for contesting as candidates in any election. Every institution created by law must act within the confines of the law creating it. This is a key principle of our legal system that we are embarrassed that public officers who are either lawyers themselves or are serviced by full-fledged legal departments, paid for at public expense, can conceive the atrocious subversion of constitutional principles implied by their intention to screen contestants. The plain incontrovertible point we make here is that screening of candidates by security outfits is illegal, unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Many Nigerians who remember vividly the inglorious attempt to elongate the tenure of the present administration and the role that the EFCC played in hounding some of the notable opposition to what is commonly known as the ‘third term agenda’ cannot but express the fear that the plot to screen candidates by security agencies is a continuation of that discredited project. We will mobilize Nigerians to resist any misuse or abuse of the security forces for partisan agenda. For the avoidance of any doubts our position is that anyone suspected of having enriched himself or herself should be dealt with according to law. Such persons should be arrested, prosecuted, made to restitute and jailed if found guilty. There is no place under our laws for the adoption of Gestapo tactics by our security agencies. To permit that is to surrender our sovereignty to them. That is nothing but societal suicide. We will resist it vehemently and comprehensively.

We call on the security agencies and INEC not to truncate our efforts at building a democracy by any reckless and unlawful comments and on the politicians not to demean themselves by submitting to unconstitutional screenings.God bless Nigeria

1.Bamidele Aturu - Democratic Alternative
2.Prof Aaron Gana - African Centre for Democratic Governance
3.Clement Nwankwo - LawRight Associates
4.Abubakar Momoh - University of Lagos
5.Adele Jinadu Centre for Advance Social Science
6.Festus Okoye - Human Rights Monitor
7.Priscilla Achakpa - Women Environmental Project
8.Abiodun Aremu - United Action for Democracy
9.Y. Z. Ya’u - CITAD
10.Terfa Tsefin - Centre for Development and Health Research
11.Mma Odi - Rural Women Empowerment and Development Network
12.Pastor Femi Israel - Centre for Free and Fair Elections
13.Dr.Jibrin Ibrahim - Centre for Democracy and Development
14.Ndubuisi Obiorah - Centre for Law and Social Action
15.Innocent Chukwuma - Transition Monitoring Group
16.Titus Mann - Civil Liberties Organisation
17.Ibrahim Muazzam - Centre for Research and Documentation
18.Mohammed G. Wuyo - Borno Coalition for Dev. And Progress
29.Uchenna Emelonye - Constitutional Rights Project
30.Prof. Sam Egwu - Citizens Forum for Constitutional Reform Issued: 25 September, 2006 Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria Statement by Human Rights Activists and Representatives of Civil Society On the threat to use security agencies to screen candidates at the forthcoming elections