Preamble
Different surveys have found that after twelve years of civilian government, Nigerians across divides are still asking questions about the dividends of democracy even as the level of satisfaction with the way democracy works in the country continues to plummet every year. Against this background, Community Policing Partners for Justice, Security and Democratic Reforms in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy NED Washington D.C organized a one day stakeholders meeting on Policing Voters Human Rights and Advocacy against Electoral Violence. The meeting which held at Summit Hotel Complex Uyo Akwa Ibom State on the 30th March 2011 was the first in the series of activities line up by Community Policing Partners as part of its programme under the thematic of Democratic Sector Reforms to Sensitize and Mobilize Citizens on the Preventions of Electoral Violence in the forth Coming 2011 General Election in Nigeria
The meeting drew participants from representatives of security agencies, political parties, civil society groups, academia, Nigerian Bar Association, Police Community Relations Committee, Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs NSCIA Akwa Ibom State Council, Federation of Muslim Women Association FONWAM, Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, socio-political associations, women groups, elections observation groups, and the media in Akwa Ibom State was structured to provide a forum for the participants to brainstorm on pertinent issues of making elections to be violent free so as to guaranteed a workable democracy for ordinary people and formulating recommendations and action plans that would inform political contestation, governance and civic action. In particular, the meeting was aimed at identifying the ills of Electoral violence to good governance and participants (stakeholders) were made to come off with strategies for reducing if possible eradicate every forms of electoral violence in Nigeria and advocates measures for effective policing of voters human rights during the election by Law Enforcement Agencies that are be deployed on election duties.
Stakeholders during the meeting identified key issues that aid and abet Electoral violence and according to them these were:
· Poor economic growth and mass youth unemployment that predispose youths to being hired as electoral thugs and perpetrators of violence before, during and after every elections.
· The lack of ideology among political parties and the transformation of parties into mere platforms for contesting elections.
· Hazy constitutional and legal framework that allows room for manipulation of the electoral process by political interest groups.
· Poor early warning systems and inability of the police and other security agencies ability to proactively prevent electoral and political violence due to absence or poor intelligence gathering.
· Poor delineation of constituencies and polling units that affects access to polling units especially in localities with challenging environment.
· Poor coverage by both domestic and international observers to deploy monitors to a significant number of polling stations especially communities with difficult terrains.
· Slow pace of resolution of election disputes and growing loss of confidence in the election dispute resolution mechanism.
· Failure of election management bodies to make adequate arrangements for the welfare of electoral officers and security agents during elections, thereby exposing them to manipulation by politicians interested in compromising their integrity.
· General alienation of the citizenry and civic associations from the political process and the political system.
· Lack of autonomy of Town unions at local and state levels of association due to dependence on government and vested interests.
· Incessant conflicts and lack of community cohesion.
· Collapse of traditional community governance institutions especially those that promote accountability, checks and balances
· Entrenchment of electoral malpractices that make popular votes irrelevant in determination of leaders of town unions.
· Poor engagement between civil society and the legislature and a general disconnection of the people from the legislative process.
· Overbearing influence of the governors and political parties on legislators
· Capacity deficits in the legislature in performing both law making and oversight functions.
· Lack of effective legal framework for institutions for vertical and horizontal accountability.
· Absence of effective constituency liaison due to lack of functional constituency offices.
And whereas the Participants carefully deliberated on the above mention issues as it constitute a factor to every forms of violence before, during and after elections in Nigeria.
And whereas the participants condemn in strong terms the recent destructions of lives and properties following the clashes between supporters of the People Democratic Party PDP and the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN in Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State
Participants therefore recommended the following Solutions
· Government at all levels should open up the political space for participation by civil society and Nigerian citizens and include them in policy making processes.
· Adopt and implement programmes aimed at generating rapid economic growth and providing employment for the mass of unemployed youths.
· Streamline electoral laws to avoid confusion as a result of conflicting regulations during elections.
· Ensure timely release of funds appropriated for all stages of the electoral process.
· Allow independence and effective function of governmental institutions responsible for receiving feedback from the citizens.
· Take measures to protect the autonomy and financial integrity of town unions and community development associations.
· Collaborate with town unions and community development associations in social mobilisation, planning and execution of development projects.
· Develop effective early warning systems for conflict preventions and control in communities.
· The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as the Nigerian Election umpire should provide effective training for all electoral staff before elections.
· Collate and publicise names of all electoral officers in 774 local government areas and 8,000 wards in the country weeks before the election to enable political parties and members of the public ascertain their independence and non-partisanship.
· Make special arrangements for polling units located in challenging environments and provide supplementary voting units in polling units where the number of registered voters exceeds 500 voters.
· Embark on extensive voter education of the public on the procedures of the modified open ballot system to guide voters on what to expect and what to do.
· Effectively make use of information technology to address communications and logistic challenges.
· Insulate its staff at all levels from influences of political parties and politicians and effectively monitor their activities.
· Ensure that political parties comply with electoral laws and send in names and photographs of their agents one week before the elections for proper accreditation.
· Provide an enabling environment and full cooperation with independent election observers and monitors.
· The Nigeria Police as the gatekeepers to the Nigeria Criminal Justice System should provide effective training for officers to be deployed for elections duties.
· Ensure that police officers get provisions for food, transport and stipends before deployment for elections.
· Develop rapid response mechanism and ensure rapid response to early warning signals on election related matters.
· Ensure that police officers deployed on elections duties do not shy away from invoking their functions as contained the Police Act to prevent breaches especially when electoral officers decline to ask for police intervention.
· Work with relevant authorities to grant police the power to accompany electoral officers and party agents from polling units to collation centres.
· Develop and maintained Inter Agency Cooperation among other security Agencies and Intra Agency Cooperation among the different and genuine informal policing structures to provide security of lives and properties before, during and after elections.
· Political Parties should adopt timely ideologies and prepare manifestoes that provide real policy choices for the electorate.
· Build up their organizational capacity for effective long-term engagement with the people and ensure the rule of law and practice of internal democracy.
· Embark on effective voter education for the public to guide voters during elections.
· Ensure that party agents are duly accredited by INEC and deployed with all necessary provisions to polling units during elections.
· Perform patriotic oversight functions on all public officers elected on their platforms
· Build capacity for mobilization of membership and collection of dues and contributions from members to reduce the overwhelming influence of some moneybags and office- holding party members.
· Work with relevant authorities and the civil society to monitor activities of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC , State Independent Electoral Commissions SIECs, and security agencies before, during and after elections.
· Civil Society Groups should take measures to put the citizens at the driver’s seat of advocacy and activism by embarking on capacity building activities aimed at enabling and empowering citizens to defend their democratic rights.
· Collaborate with INEC, SIECs, Police and other Security Agencies to build capacity of electoral officers and police officers to conduct free and fair elections.
· Embark on innovative use of information technology to enhance election observation and early warning of possible breaches of elections.
· Liaise with the media to promote issue based campaigning by setting agendas and providing platforms for political debates by aspirants and political parties.
· Provide effective monitoring of party campaign, finance and deployment of agents during elections.
· Study and understand the legislative process to enhance effective programming to promote law making, representation and oversight functions of the legislature.
· Embark on aggressive enlightenment of the public on the role of citizens and community based associations in demanding transparency and accountability in government.
· Embark on sensitization and education of the citizens on the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic society.
· Create platforms for engaging aspirants and political parties with a view to developing a social contract between the community and political actors.
· Rebuild traditional governance structure to ensure accountability amongst them and to also demand accountability from the government and those elected to public office from their communities.
