Timi Frank, the former deputy national publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has criticised the order issued out to the military and police giving them unreserved powers to kill anyone who snatches ballot boxes during the forth coming General Elections.
Frank said While the snatching of ballot boxes is condemnable and an act liable to severe punishment under the electoral laws, the retired General has once again proven that he doesn’t give a damn about the country’s laws, but would rather implement his narcissist draconian decrees to have citizens killed, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to act for once like a democrat.
In a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, February 19, 2019 in Abuja, Frank said that General Buhari who truncated democracy in Nigeria never fought for the return of democracy to the country, vand as such is hell bent on finally destroying everything democratic tenets in the face of imminent defeat at the polls.
“Never has Nigeria degenerated to this level of social, economic and political quagmire than under this current administration, which has left nearly 90% of Nigerians in a state of utter hopelessness and despair.”
Frank stated that Electoral Act is clear in in sections 129(4) & sections 131(1) as it relates to punishment for electoral offences, and it’s therefore strange as to why the president would rather mull jungle justice.
“Perhaps Mr President may as usual be unaware that the ballot boxes may be worthless without the card readers, as without the Forms EC8A and the Card Readers it is practically impossible to rig any election in Nigeria.
“This outright call for ballot snatchers to be killed by the military authorities, who clearly have no business at the polling units, is another grand plot to further disenfranchise the people and create fear to voters. This plot is designed to finally aid and assist the ruling party in carrying out electoral atrocities in collution with the Army authorities under the guise of maintaining law and other, exclusive to the reserve of the Nigerian police.
“Nigerians must wake up to the stark reality, that democracy is under attack from a draconian leader who has no respect or recourse to the rule of law save for his selfish gains. This can be butressed by his lackadaisical attitude in the aftermath of unwanton slaughtering of Nigerians in Benue state, when hundreds of citizens where killed and his inability to direct the security services to do needful after the IG of Police disregarded his order.”
On the alleged plan by the ruling party to deploy fake military personnel to assist them in rigging, Frank said: “Nigerians must be aware that there’s a grand plot already finalised by the President and the APC to arm thugs and selected Niger Delta Militants camouflaged as real army personnels on Saturday 23rd to intimidate voters all over the country, with the aim of killing anybody oppose to their plan and tag these innocent Nigerians as election riggers.
“The aim is to act as a decoy in escorting the voting materials to the INEC state collation centre after the elections and ensuring that only APC agents are allowed into the collation centre whilst barring any other party from gaining access. This plot has reached its advanced stages and Nigerians must rise up to this evil plot by a desperate President bent on trauncating democracy by all means possible. The international community will have themselves to blame if they fail to call this President to order in the event of an uprising, as refugees from Nigeria will overwhelm the world. This wicked ploy is undemocratic and wicked to say the least by an elected President.
“Mr President must be reminded that he is a candidate in the general elections like every other candidate of the 91 registered political parties and as such must accept the explanations from INEC rather than resorting to threats and intimidation of the INEC management.
“I urge Mr President to conduct himself as a democrat having benefitted from this hard earned democracy which he never participated in bringing back to Nigeria, save for the truncating of democracy in 1983. He must govern by the rule of law and be circumstance in his utterances capable of throwing the country into chaos.”
The Bayelsa-born political activist, however, called on the international community to continue to keep their eyes on the happening in Nigeria
“Finally I’d like to thank the US, UK and the EU for all they have done in maintaining the peace in Nigeria and urge them to continue with its good works and to further beam it’s satellite on Nigeria in the wake of this grave revelation at a time when the country prepares for its General Elections. The desperation by this military dictator, whilst I urge all Nigerians to remain resolute as the songs of victory for democracy is under way and will supersede any other force.”
