Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigerians have been urged to maintain the highest level of alertness ahead of the 2023 general elections as there are allegedly some persons planning to scuttle the polls.
In a statement on Friday, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) alleged that efforts are being made to ensure that the exercise is not free and fair.
The group stated that some “enemies of democracy” want to use the courts to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), a device that has brought sanity into the system as reflected in the off-season elections in Osun and Ekiti States.
“What must be done is that citizens must maintain the highest level of political alertness and ensure that they stand up for credible elections in 2023 in the same manner they stood and saw through the amendment and assent to the 2022 Electoral Act,” the organisation said in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mr Willy Ezugwu.
Recently, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) claimed that some politicians were planning to ensure that the BVAS is not used next year for the polls.
The system puts away the use of manual voters’ register for voting.
Reacting to this, CNPP said, “Plots to compromise INEC and the voters’ register, as CUPP alleged, should be taken very seriously by all lovers of democracy in Nigeria, particularly the civil society despite the CNPP’s belief that INEC is on the side of the people on transparent elections next.
“The enemies of free, fair and transparent elections failed to stop the amendment and assent to the 2022 Electoral Act, and they later went to court to annul the contentious Section 84(12) of the Act in a secret suit which culminated into a court order directing the Attorney General of the Federation to delete the said clause in an obvious black market judgment.
“So, after losing the Osun State governorship election due to the deployment of technology and the vigilance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will stop at nothing to compromise the electoral process.
“The CNPP, therefore, warns both INEC and the Nigerian judiciary to take special note that there will be grave consequences for the future and unity of the country if the renewed hope of Nigerian youths in the current electoral process is dashed.
“The aftermath will be unimaginable and could threaten the country’s fragile peace and security and must be averted at all costs.
“Politicians must note that they are only running in the 2023 political race because there is one united country, Nigeria.
“Those in the judiciary must not allow themselves to be used to set Nigeria on fire as the inferno may not spare anyone if the ongoing electoral process is compromised by any means.
“The CNPP, therefore, joins the CUPP to call on international partners, local and international observer groups, civil society and the general public to join the struggle to protect democracy in Nigeria and ensure that the 2023 general elections are not compromised in any way as the corporate existence of the country largely depends on the process that leads to the eventual outcome,” the CNPP stated.
