STAND UP AGAINST IMPUNITY NHRC TELLS INEC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stand up against impunity and reject the result of any primary that was not monitored by the electoral umpire. 

The Executive Secretary of the Commission Tony Ojukwu Esq. stated this while addressing newsmen on the rights of Nigerians to participate in governance at the headquarters of the Commission on Friday. 

He said the Commission has watched with dismay the impunity displayed by political parties across board in the process of choosing candidates during the just concluded party primaries preceding the 2019 general elections. 

"The Commission has received myriad of complaints on the denial of the rights to participate in governance through free, fair, open and inclusive conduct of party primaries" he said. Ojukwu lamented that the denial of the rights to participate in governance and elections as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as other international instrument to which Nigeria is a party is a threat to our democracy. 

While commending INEC on the action taken on the Zamfara State Governorship Primaries the NHRC Boss enjoins it to do more, saying if no further serious actions are taken the situation may affect the credibility of elections, overheat the polity, increase conflict, hate speech and election related violence ahead of the 2019 general elections. 

The human rights Czar also urged the Judiciary to support the building of a credible, fair, inclusive and open process of selecting leaders in Nigeria and provide the enabling environment for the sustenance and deepening of democracy in Nigeria.