Falana Seeks Visa Ban On El-Rufai, Says Gov Will Be Prosecuted

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says Nasir el-Rufai, governor
of Kaduna state, has confirmed that the general election will be a
do or die affair.

Responding to to el-Rufai’s “body bag” threat, Falana said the
prosecution of the governor will commence as soon as his tenure is
over.

He asked the international community that has promised to impose
visa ban on those inciting violence to make an example of the
governor.

Falana was speaking at secretariat of the Committee for the
Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) during a memorial event in honour of
Beko Ransome-Kuti, the human rights activist who died 13 years
ago.

The programme held on Tuesday.

“Last week, Mr. Nasiru El Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State
threatened that foreign election observers and monitors who
interfere in the 2019 general elections would return to their
countries in body bags because nobody will come to Nigeria and tell
us how to run out country,” Falana said.

“The threat to attack and kill foreign election observers in
Nigeria constitutes an infraction of the Electoral Act, 2010 and
the Penal Code but because Governor El Rufai currently enjoys
immunity his trial and prosecution for the offence will have to
await the end of his tenure.

“The western countries that have threatened to place travel
restrictions on members of the ruling class who incite violence or
interfere in the electoral process should not hesitate to make an
example of the governor without any further delay.

“The Special Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who
has also warned against any form of electoral violence in the
country is urged to hold Governor El Rufai responsible if foreign
observers and monitors are killed during the 2019 general
election.

“Notwithstanding the recklessness of the threat to attack
foreign election observers, Governor El Rufai’s has confirmed that
the 2019 general election is going to be a do or die affair
(apologies to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) for the leading factions of
the ruling class.

“Since leading politicians have recruited and armed thugs the
general elections will be characterised by violence in many parts
of the country. Even if some of the thugs are arrested and are
arraigned in the courts, the various attorneys-general would file
nolle prosequi to terminate the criminal cases as the managers of
the neocolonial state cannot afford to prosecute their armed
agents.

“Therefore, since the children of the sponsors of violence are
in expensive schools at home and abroad we urge the masses of our
people not to allow their own children to be used as cannon fodders
during the battle for the control of political power and economic
resources of the country by the ruling class.”

The lawyer also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of considering
manipulating results.

He wondered why ex-President Goodluck Jonathan failed to
implement the recommendation of the Uwai panel set up by the late
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to tackle electoral malpractice.

Falana said like Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari also
jettisoned the Ken Nnamani panel set up by the APC government.

“It is indubitably clear that both APC and PDP are resolutely
committed to the status quo which permits the manipulation of
election results,” he said.

“Hence, both parties have rejected the reform of the electoral
system. But it is high time democratic forces mounted sufficient
pressure on the political class to implement the recommendations of
the electoral reform panels.”