The President Muhammadu Buhari government should not set Benue and other states where elections were declared inconclusive on fire.
Concise News understands that the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) declared the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi and Adamawa as inconclusive.
This, has, prompted the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) to call on the Buhari government to tread with caution.
“We also foresee the full resumption of politico-oil war in the Niger Delta and escalation of banditry violence or war in core northern part of Nigeria,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Already the banditry violence that originally started in Zamfara State has now spread to Kaduna and Katsina States and inching, if not already enveloped the entire Northwest.
“This is more so when consequences of election rigging including voter intimidation and suppression has globally been found to have “short term and long term devastating effects” or consequences.
“It is also a truism that the Nigerian Military particularly the Army; presently designed along “pro jihadist and anti secular” lines; will be resisted with utter vehemence if deployed and unleashed on voters and general populations of Kano and Sokoto States; and Bauchi and Adamawa states to an extent.
“Benue State is also not out of it and is capable of going up in flames. In Kano, the voting responses of the people of the State are like a movement and religion; not capable of being compromised even at gunpoint.
“The responses are beyond the “Sabon Gari affair” or “Igbo area affair” that would have easily attracted the Federal and State might or crushing machineries.
“In Sokoto State, the Home of Caliphate, any military highhandedness or brutality in the State come 23rd March 2019 shall expressly be deemed desecration of the Caliphate or “Sultanate of Gobir” and be seemed as collective affront to the entire Northern Muslims. The political consequences of unleashing military goons on the State also abound.
“For instance, it will be too dicey to dislodge or brutally rig out the incumbent Governor widely viewed to be popular among his people.
“Benue State is also dicey to be brutally manipulated. This is because the incumbent Governor is already leading with over 70,000 with cancelled areas having 121,000 voting population.
“It will be too dicey and a time-bomb if the entire 121,000 registered voters are converted and manufactured as votes and given to his opponent. Instances above are just to cite but a few.