Matilda Omonaiye/
A Youth Group, known as the New Generation Leadership (NGL) has expressed fears on what the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria would look like, describing the Governorship Election in Osun State, as a minus to democracy, a subversion of the will of the people and a route to tyranny and anarchy.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary of the group, Adedayo Adegbayibi while speaking on the conduct of the supplementary elections, between Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in four local government areas of the State which were inconclusive.
The New Generation Leadership said it was disheartening that the President Muhammadu Buhari-APC led Federal Government which could not protect the lives of its citizens, who are daily killed by herdsmen in some parts of the Country can militarise Osun State during the election period.
It stated that the Federal Government which ought to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties, especially with its anti-corruption stance, was allegedly at the forefront of intimidation and brutalisation that occurred during the election, warning that such acts should not be allowed to stand in modern day Nigeria”.
The statement says: “The beauty of democracy lies in Its natural internal seamless change of government without any let or hindrance, when desired by the electorates, in a free and fair election. And this is what must be encouraged in Nigeria.
“It is so sad that the Osun State Election was fraught with indiscriminate arrest of opposition members, harassment and brutalisation of voters, giving tacit support to thugs imported into the State to snatch ballot boxes and create confusion, open inducement of voters and buying of votes, INEC failure to act as a neutral umpire, as well as other malpractices.
“The police and army prevented agents from watching the polling booths while thugs threatened and beat voters.
“Journalists and election observers were prevented from monitoring and covering the process. Many of them were manhandled and beaten up.
“It was regrettable that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies could be used to short-change the people of the state.
“If what has played out in Osun State is the APC template for the 2019 general elections, there is a great need for concern by all lovers of genuine democracy.
“The New Generation Leadership is saddened by the fact that our nascent democracy which we all fought to establish in 1999 is being threatened and about to collapse.
“This is not about APC or PDP, our concern is to prevent the destruction of all democratic norms and values in Nigeria. To avoid anarchy, the 2019 elections must be well conducted in a free and fair setting.
“We hereby call on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise up against this injustice and dictatorship tendencies of the ruling Party, while the international communities are urged to lend their voices against the actions of the Federal Government, INEC and Security agents and compel them to do the right thing.”