TMG to write ICC, UN over Kogi violence – TheNigerialawyer

A coalition of over 400 civil rights organisations under the
aegis of Transition Monitoring Group on Tuesday said it would write
the International Criminal Court in The Hague, The Netherlands and
other organs of the United Nations to protest against the violence
which characterised the elections in Kogi State.

While calling for a thorough investigation into the elections,
the TMG stressed the need for an urgent national conversation and
“a public hearing of a sort where Nigerians can voice their
thoughts on the way forward on our elections in Nigeria.”

The organisation said its overall preliminary assessment showed
that several of the old challenges that featured in previous
elections were extant in the governorship and senatorial rerun
elections held in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

The chairperson of TMG, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, in its
statement on the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and
Kogi states, said the processes were marred by irregularities.

Akiyode-Afolabi said, “The situation during the elections in
Kogi was worrisome, given the attendant frustration and fear
unleashed on citizens who were faced with electoral intimidation,
violence and killings as the case may be in the state.

“TMG will not hesitate to officially write the International
Criminal Count and other relevant organs of the United Nations to
weigh into the matter.

The lapses observed were not consistent with the dictates of the
constitution and other extant laws that guide the conduct of
elections in Nigeria. As such, we call for the immediate and
outright cancellation of the elections in Kogi.

Meanwhile, a coalition of over 52 civil society groups
accredited by INEC who observed the Kogi elections have said the
elections were largely free, fair and credible in spite pocket of
violence.

Comrade Peter Nwokolo of Citizens’ Right and Leadership
Awareness Initiative, who read the press statement on behalf of the
leaders of the groups, made the assertion at a press conference in
Lokoja on Tuesday.

‘’The observed anomalies reported during the elections,
including the incidents of thuggery and associated violence, were
comparatively too few and ineffective to justify the calls from
some quarters for total cancellation of the entire elections.

‘’The INEC is advised to ignore such calls as misguided,’’ he
said.

Other representatives of the CSOs at the press conference who
signed the press statement were Mr Obinna Nwaka of the Committee of
Youth on Mobilization and Sensitisation, Mr Fidelis Nwoke of Africa
for Millennium Change Initiative, Chinyere Manukwem of Centre for
Positive Change and Civil Responsibility, among others.