2015: US tells INEC to ensure displaced persons vote

A United States election security expert, Dr Patrick Quirk, has called on INEC to ensure that Nigerians displaced by conflict in the country cast their votes in the 2015 general elections.

Quirk said this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday after completing a two-week tour on electoral security in the run-up to the 2015 elections.

He observed that there were “positive signs related to election security” in Nigeria, despite the vicious attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in the country that had killed no fewer than 13,000 since 2009.

“One positive sign is that there is a planning and coordination going on as it relates to electoral security and there seems to be some level of coordination between relevant stakeholders.

“However, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and peaceful, and this is of high priority to the United States government.

“So we hope to work with Nigerian government, with INEC and other political parties to ensure that 2015 elections reflect the will of the people of Nigeria,” he said.

Quirk, a Senior Conflict and Stabilisation Advisor within the Bureau of Conflict at the US Department of State, reiterated the need for Nigeria to set up an electoral offences tribunal.

According to him, the prosecution of electoral offenders will serve as a deterrent to those who want to use violence to achieve political gains.

The official, who has performed electoral security assessments in more than 16 countries, including Afghanistan and Burundi, said electoral security went beyond the police and military.

He stressed the vital role of civil society and faith-based groups in communicating the potential for violence to appropriate authorities for them to take actions to prevent it.

He said both groups were also in a vantage positions to dissuade those planning to use violence before, during and after elections.

The US expert, who said he met with representatives of the two main political parties in Nigeria, cautioned politicians against the use of violent rhetorics that could lead to armed clashes by their supporters.

“From the US to Nigeria to the Philippines, you always have heated rhetorics and in some cases, it does devolve into armed clashes.

“This is where two best practices promoted across the world comes in: first, is to ensure that political parties agree to a code of conduct that they will not employ violence and not use violence provocative rhetorics.

“Second, there should also be a body that enforces that code of conduct and prescribes certain penalties.

He said the local media had a role to play to ensure that it did not fan embers of hatred and discord during elections.

NAN recalls that, the US Government had announced that it would provide approximately $51 million dollars (N8.4 billion) over five years to support the conduct of credible and peaceful elections in 2015 and beyond.

The information was contained in a fact sheet issued on 4 August by the White House on US Support for Democratic Institutions, Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa.

It said the US was working with other donors to support Nigeria’s electoral management bodies and strengthen the ability of Nigerian civil society to promote electoral reforms.

The US Government also pledged commitment to work with the Nigerian civil society to expand voter education and monitor electoral processes in the run-up to the 2015 elections.