Afrigather The Nationwide Peace Committee (NPC) has revealed particulars of behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and different unnamed parts in the course of the 2023 Presidential Election, disclosing that it got here below immense strain to steer the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to both halt the collation of outcomes or cancel the election fully…..CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
The NPC, led by former Head of State Normal Abdulsalami Abubakar, made these revelations on Friday in Abuja in the course of the public presentation of its 106-page report on the 2023 Normal Elections, titled ‘Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: Nationwide Peace Committee NPC 2023 Normal Elections Report’.
Normal Abubakar highlighted the immense strain exerted on the committee in the course of the election course of as partisan forces sought to affect the election end result by numerous means.
In accordance with him, the report offers an in-depth evaluation of the challenges confronted in the course of the election and proposals for enhancing future electoral processes in Nigeria.
Earlier than the general public presentation of the report, the NPC had earlier met with INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and different senior administration workers of the fee.
Through the assembly, they have been briefed on INEC’s preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
Different members of the committee are Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman); Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’advert Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; enterprise icons, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola; Vanguard Newspapers Writer, Sam Amuka Pemu; Ameze Guobadia; Idayat Hassan; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Channels TV proprietor, John Momoh; Roseline Ukeje; and, Fr. Atta Barkindo, its Head of Secretariat.
The report reads, “Because the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms turned plentiful. The NPC was already being confronted with a flurry of cellphone calls and the necessity to name INEC to order. The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Each the Chairman of the Committee, Normal Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, have been inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC.
“A few of the requests wished the NPC to prevail on INEC to cease collating election outcomes as a result of there have been gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed weren’t adhered to and due to this fact the Committee ought to name for cancellation of the election fully.
“Essentially the most vital name was associated to the 25% threshold for Abuja because the Federal Capital Territory. A few of the analysts who reached out to the committee requested that the ultimate election outcome shouldn’t be introduced as a result of the resumptive president-elect didn’t rating the required 25% as said within the electoral act. If something, there ought to be a runoff.
“For instance, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy described the silence of Nationwide Peace Committee (NPC) as deafening regardless of the avalanche of election petitions and sure far-reaching outcomes that would observe the choices. The Centre said that the NPC led by Normal Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) had previous to the 2023 elections engaged political leaders on the necessity for a peaceable and credible election. Nonetheless, what was lacking was a post- election formal assertion of the NPC on the result of the election and the form of intervention wanted to stop widespread violence.
“The largest bone of competition was the importance of the 25% threshold for the FCT, the vacuum created by pre-election authorized interpretation that was not given by INEC.
“Inside the common context of the mandate of the Peace Committee, there have been requests that demanded the Committee to transcend its mandate and to intrude in an electoral course of that solely companies empowered by legislation can achieve this.
“The interventions offered by the NPC is only and squarely ethical, notably in a context that belief deficit is widespread, the tradition of impunity and lack of compliance with legal guidelines. The mandate is based on the necessity to promote peace, forestall widespread violence and encourage events and candidates to uphold the rule of legislation.
“The NPC has no mandate to arrest violators of course of or intrude with the constitutional duties of INEC. It’s set as much as present ethical intervention, outlined by mediation and ethical persuasion to make sure that there may be peace. Additionally it is anticipated to, on behalf of public curiosity, converse fact to energy when issues are going terribly incorrect. After the presidential elections, the NPC has continued with its engagements with political events, youth and girls led teams, individuals with disabilities, the safety companies, conventional rulers and spiritual leaders, together with the Impartial State-based Peace Architectures.
“Most individuals usually are not conscious that the NPC offers solely an ethical intervention, and it has no constitutional obligation to arrest, punish or prosecute any citizen for any wrongdoing. Reasonably, the Committee has the ethical obligation to encourage, persuade and enchantment to political actors, group leaders and different stakeholders on the significance of peace. This restricted consciousness has compelled some Nigerians to query the importance of partaking with the NPC if solely what the committee brings to the desk is ethical persuasion. This can be a problem for the work of the Committee.”
