THE violence that rocked the Rivers State rerun elections of December 10 is regrettable. Equally reprehensible are the cases of ballot snatching, molestation of voters and other electoral offences which marred the exercise. The results declared so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won two Senate, four House of Representatives and four State Assembly seats, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) got one Senate, three House of Reps and four State Assembly seats.
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday swore in the three winners of the Senate rerun polls. They are Magnus Abe (Rivers South East), George Sekibo (Rivers East) and Osinakachukwu Ideozu (Rivers West). The three seats had been vacant since December 2015 when the Court of Appeal invalidated the Senate polls held during the 2015 general elections. The winners in the House of Reps and State Assembly polls are also expected to be sworn in soon.
We commend the people of Rivers State for coming out to cast their votes in the midst of violence that attended the exercise despite the hefty deployment of security agents. With the conclusion of the poll, the people will now have full representation at the National Assembly and their state legislature. They will no longer be disenfranchised.
Besides the conclusion of the poll, we are worried that an election that involved only 21 legislative seats in a state could be so violent and lead to loss of lives. If the Rivers rerun poll can be so violent, how much more the 2019 general elections that will involve all parts of the country. What happened in Rivers State during the rerun polls will not augur well for the future of democracy in the country.
The bad attitude of top politicians in the state did not help matters. The incendiary utterances of these politicians before the poll contributed to the mayhem that marred it.
We condemn the hate rhetoric in this particular election and warn that politicians should moderate their speeches during elections. They should avoid comments that are capable of causing a breach of law and order.
The killings, ballot snatching and other electoral infractions witnessed during the rerun poll must be properly investigated and those involved tried and punished to serve as a deterrent to others who may wish to perpetrate such crimes in the future. These heinous electoral crimes should not be swept under the carpet. Sweeping such serious incidents under the carpet is responsible for their recurrence.
It is perplexing that an election in which the state was saturated with policemen, soldiers and other security agents was marred by violence. Why is this so? We strongly condemn what happened and ask for a change of strategy in future polls. Perhaps, this is the time to review the use of policemen, soldiers and other security agents during elections.
We believe that there should have been better deployment of intelligence in handling security during elections. We also decry the “do-or-die” approach to politics in the country.
Our politicians and their teeming supporters ought to refrain from political violence. They should not turn elections into theatres of war.
The electoral umpire should improve in future elections. Its performance in Rivers rerun poll left much room for improvement. The agency should embark on voter education. There is the need to enlighten the politicians and their supporters on the need for peaceful elections. They should stop being desperate for victory.
Politicians ought to be aware that regular election is a feature of democracy. Such exercise should not be allowed to degenerate to violence. We believe that making our electoral process more credible will reduce the incidence of violence and other electoral vices in the country.