Women groups storm INEC hqtrs, decry military involvement in elections

The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Abuja, played host to a pack of August visitors in the shape of protesting women groups on Wednesday.

The group of women who turned up in their numbers kicked against the continued deployment of military personnel for election duties across the country.

The protesting women under the auspices of Save Democracy Women, also called on the electoral umpire to demonstrate high level of non partisanship in Saturday’s polls.

The demonstrations led by May Uneku, convener, Impact Future Nigeria, saw the women carrying placards bearing various inscriptions with some reading thus; “Nepotism must stop,” “Restore our stolen mandate,” “No place for tyranny in modern democracy’,” “Save our democracy,” “Black cloud over Nigeria,” “Let our votes count,” among others.

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According to Uneku the low turn out of voters in some parts of the country in the February 23 election was as a result of the high presence of military personnel.

She said: “Unfortunately, these military men helped President Muhammadu Buhari to rig the presidential election for him to come back.

“We condemn in totality the involvement of military in our elections. During the just concluded elections, people were killed. The election was a total charade because there are videos and pictorial evidence of people screening for their lives, soldiers were harassing and shooting people.

“In 2015, there were court judgements in Abuja, Sokoto and Lagos – two federal high court judgements and one Court of Appeal judgement – against the involvement of the military that the President had no powers to involve the military in the elections.

“But a few days to the 2019 elections, the President categorically said the military should shoot anybody that will pick ballot boxes. Though we are not supporting those who will snatch ballot boxes but that pronouncement caused a lot of rancour as military men harassed, intimidated voters”.

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