A civil society group, Civil Society Allaince for Sustainable Democracy (CSASD) has condemned the militarisation of the Saturday Rivers State rerun election, saying the State is under siege.
The group, which expressed concern over the development, decried the use of force by the military to harass and intimidate voters and opposition politicians, particularly member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This was contained in a statement issued by the group on Friday and signed by its convener, Idris Usman. The statement further condemned the arrests of PDP members by officers of the Nigeria Police deployed to monitor the exercise.
While warning against attempts to truncate democracy, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call his All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the state to order.
The statement reads in part, “The Civil Society Allaince for Sustainable Democracy (CSASD) wishes to call the attention of the Nigerian public and members of the International community to the present atmosphere of tension that has enveloped Rivers State, ahead of tomorrow’s legislative rerun elections in the State.
“We are alarmed by the level of deployment of members of the Nigerian armed forces, particularly the military and the ongoing use of same, to harass and intimidate opposition politicians and the innocent citizens of Rivers State.
“The last few hours have witnessed some arrest of members of the opposition PDP and vocal non partisan citizens or what the security agents have described as ‘order from above’
“It is sad to witness the desperate dimension that politicians belonging to the ruling federal government have taken this election into, which has now practically frozen the freedom of the people of the State, only a day after the national leadership of the APC, came to openly instigate violence at the party’s campaign in Port Harcourt.
“We are therefore calling on President Buhari to immediately call members of his party, many of who have no legitimate business, but have relocated to Rivers, to order. We also want to remind everyone involved in the ongoing attempt to truncate democracy and cause arm on the innocent people, that the world is watching and we shall ensure that justice is served to everyone through legitimate means at the appropriate time.”
