Amnesty Int’l condemns human rights violation during Kano re-run poll, advises Buhari govt

Amnesty International has frowned at the level of human rights violation that was witnessed during the supplementary election exercise in Kano State last Saturday.

It has therefore advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to urgently investigate alleged cases of political thuggery and violence on journalists and electorate during the exercise in Kano.

The group’s spokesmen, Isa Sanusi, gave the advise during an interview with BBC Hausa service in Damaturu, Yobe.

Videos and photos of open attacks on journalists, and the electorate by political thugs flooded the social media space during the said elections. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went ahead to collate results from the exercise.

At the end, incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who before the supplementary election was trailing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the election, had the situation turned around, as he secured the highest number of votes and was declared winner of the election.

But stating its observation during the exercise, the international body said:

“Amnesty International condemns the human rights violation during supplementary election exercise conducted in Kano especially on journalists and electorates.

“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to launch an investigation into the issue.

“Extensive electoral security problems were observed in some areas, with groups of men with weapons intimidating and obstructing the process, and security agencies ineffective at protecting citizens’ right to vote.”

READ ALSO: You must act within the law during operations, Acting CJN tells Nigerian military

This is coming after the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) had earlier on Monday also said that it witnessed organised violence and intimidation of voters during the Saturday’s exercise in parts of Kano, Bauchi and Benue States.

According to EU EOM, police and party leaders failed to prevent attacks on electoral officials by youth gangs armed with clubs and machetes in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State which accounted for one-third of all registered voters for the re-run election.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now