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A coalition of civil
society organisations monitoring the 2011 general elections has said,
state governors are largely responsible for the political violence being
experienced across Nigeria. Speaking yesterday in Abuja at a press
conference organised by the 2011 Nigeria Election Situation Room,
comprising more than 40 civil society organisations, Jibrin Ibrahim,
executive director of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said
the raging violence poses a serious threat to the conduct of free, fair
and credible general elections across the country in April.

“The unprecedented
levels of violence that have seen several people either killed, maimed,
kidnapped or intimidated for political reasons pose the single most
significant threat to the conduct of general elections beginning in only
a few days,” the group said.

Furthermore, he
said, the coalition attributed the violence mostly to the actions of
governors in specific states who have worked to prevent opposition
parties from equal access to public venues for campaigns.

The group listed
such states where incumbent governors have muscled opposition as Akwa
Ibom, Ebonyi, Imo, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Benue,
among others.

Mr Ibrahim also
said the findings of the group reveal that most political parties are
busy funding and recruiting thugs to inflict violence on their
opponents, thus turning the elections into contests of might rather than
of ideas.

“The situation room
raised the concern that the on-going violence could hinder large voter
turn out on election days, as genuine voters may be frightened away from
polling unit out of fear of being attacked. It calls on the police
authorities to do more,” he said.

Resist violence

Furthermore, the
civil society coalition called on Nigerians, particularly the youth, to
resist being recruited as thugs by political parties. The group said the
youth should realise that they will be the ones who will suffer the
consequence of being used as instruments of violence.

It commended the
guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) for voting, which provides for accreditation of voters before
votes are cast. “The situation room was satisfied with the procedure
that requires voters to first be accredited between the hours of 8 am
and 12noon, before they then turn up to vote between 12.30pm and 4pm.
The measures, if well implemented, will reduce voting abuses,” he said.

The group is also
happy with INEC’s announcement that voters could peacefully observe
voting at polling units and collation centres. He said this will further
reduce the manipulation and switching of votes on election day.

The Situation Room
is made up of groups such as Action Aid Nigeria, Transition Monitoring
Group, Centre for Democracy and Development, Justice Development and
Peace Commission, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, CLEEN Foundation and
Community Life Project, among others.