The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) comprising more than 60 civic groups working in support of credible elections and good governance in Nigeria has requested this meeting with you to share our concerns over the forthcoming elections and re-state the expectations of civil society.
We note that the Nigeria Police is the key agency and institution with the responsibility for providing security during elections. This is a responsibility it has carried out over a long period. In our observations of recent governorship elections since 2011, the Situation Room has reported on the conduct, efficiency and effectiveness of security agencies.
In the most recent elections in Ekiti and Osun States, the Nigeria Police received commendation from the Situation Room for its professionalism and general conduct during elections. Of course, we reported few incidents of misconduct but overall the general impression is that the Nigeria Police has come some way in discharging its role during elections. This assessment came within a context where we also found that the militarization of these elections was excessive and not conducive to a poll where voters could conduct themselves without fear.
A specific concern for the Police that was raised is with regards to complaints from personnel who continue to insist that the Police authority do not make adequate arrangements of their welfare, with many complaining of unpaid allowances and poor working conditions.
The Situation Room calls on the Police authority to take these complaints seriously and address them as we move towards the March 28th and April 11th 2015 elections. The Situation Room notes that the general election earlier scheduled for February 14th and February 28th 2015 was postponed because of INEC’s complaints that it would not have security cover from the military for the elections.
It is our belief that the debate around the availability of military personnel has distorted the roles of the security services in elections. Both Nigerian law and the expectations of our society envisage elections as a civilian exercise where any involvement of the military should be strictly defined around specific risks and needs.
In coming weeks we hope that the Police can play a more visible role in reassuring Nigerians that it has made adequate preparations in its central role for security and good conduct at the polls. We hope this message will include clear commitments to normalize elections and reassure all concerned that your officers will be supporting electoral officials, party agents, observers and voters in playing their roles in a fair and constructive manner.
We note INEC’s aspiration to provide an election that is fair to all sides and look to the police to create a secure but conducive and transparent environment from the polling unit through to collation centres.
The Situation Room is also worried about the issue of citizens’ security and the violence surrounding elections. Nigeria has seen violence break out and persons killed in recent election related violence. We would like to see the Police play a more robust role in curbing election related violence and bring in perpetrators to account by prosecuting them in the courts.
We urge the Police to communicate regularly to the public, its efforts and plans for the elections and what it is doing to professionally and without bias carry out its role of assisting in the delivery of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.
The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Enough is Enough Nigeria, Wangonet, Partners for Electoral Reform, JDPC and Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), CWAE. Others are Development Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, CITAD, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), CISLAC and several other CSOs numbering more than Sixty.