A prominent Non-Governmental Organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has applauded what it described as the massive outpouring of support by Nigerians for the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections. It tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to undermine the confidence and trust of the people in the electoral process by manipulating the collation of results of the polls to favour preconceived political party.

The rights group in a statement on Saturday evening in Abuja deplored “the monumental hiccups that trailed the operationslisation of the voting equipment in some parts of the country.” It particularly expressed strong reservations “on the way security forces allowed underage persons to mill around freely in many polling units in Kano State.”

HURIWA in the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, also asked the heads of the nation’s security forces “to fish out security operatives in some states like Rivers State who snatched voting materials and disappeared into thin air with the hope of prosecuting and sanctioning them in line with the extant provisions of the Electoral Act.”

HURIWA commended the security forces in Abia State for not deploying extralegal execution of suspected ballot box snatchers who were caught in Bende Local Government Area.

“We are aware that millions of Nigerians turned out to exercise their fundamental right to civil and political rights but some people were confronted by unforeseen logistical issues that INEC and some security forces mounted on their way. The report confirmed by us that security forces stole voting materials made up of sensitive and non-sensitive materials in Okrika in Rivers State and denied people their human rights to vote is totally condemnable and we urge INEC to make sure that the people get the opportunity to exercise their constitutional duties of picking candidates of their choices in the election,” HURIWA said.

It charged INEC “to be open, transparent and credible in the collation of results and avoid all tendencies to undermine the electoral process. Nigerians expect to get the outcomes of this election within 48 hours.”

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