General election will endanger human rights in Nigeria, says group

International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law(Intersociety) has said that  the 2015 general election will breed abuse of human rights as the contending political parties have no solution to the problems besieging Nigeria, but simply want to win power at all cost.

It said that despite the yearly celebration of Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) by Nigerian and African countries, human rights will still face big challenges in especially in 2015.

The group in a press release made available to our correspondent said this is chiefly due to prevalence of dictatorship and tyranny in Africa and expected turbulent general elections holding in Nigeria in February.

The release signed by the chairman Board of Trustees of the group, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi and Uzochukwu Oguejiofor, Head, Campaign & Publicity Department stated that as Nigeria faces its crucial general elections in February, human rights of Nigerians are at the crossroads.

It said, “Uncertainties have rented the air. Both the federally ruling and opposition political parties have nothing concrete to offer Nigerians if re-elected or elected. They are busy promoting politics of primordialism, violence, religiosity and mercantilism.

“They have no empirical answers to insurgency, economic and other social downturns afflicting Nigeria and Nigerians in recent times. While the federally ruling PDP can be described as the worse government in power; the federally opposition APC can best be described as “the worst government in waiting”. This is because they have nothing meaningful to offer to the long suffering people of Nigeria. As a result, Nigerians are left to choose in the February polls between “the worse government in power” and “the worst government in waiting”.

It went further to state that in all, the Continent of Africa will in 2015 remain turbulent/violence prone until meaningful regime changes are effected chasing away all dictators and tyrants that hold the Continent to ransom.

In Nigeria, it stated that except all inclusive and transparent elections particularly the Presidential poll, devoid of ethno-religious extremism and socio-economic primordialism are conducted; otherwise lives and liberties of millions of ordinary Nigerians will be at intense risk during and after the polls.

“The country also faces resurgence of oil-insurgency in the Niger Delta South and radical Islamist insurgency in the far north except the authorities and those in the opposition play electioneering politics within the confines of international best practices.” Intersociety noted.

ENDS.