A popular human rights lawyer and senior advocate in Nigeria, Femi Falana, has come out to react to the allegation claims, revealing some of the forces involved in the manipulation of the electoral process.
Mr. Falana, speaking during an interview obtained by Channels TV, further stated that he advised INEC to check for any form of malpractice in their system so that adequate disciplinary measures can be enforced to punish whomever has been involved in the rigging and manipulation of the electoral process.
According to him, “INEC promised us that we were going to have a credible and peaceful election where votes would count, but regrettably, thugs took over the election in many places.” Also, there is a compromise on the part of some security forces; there was a compromise on the part of some INEC chiefs; and there is impunity on the part of some governors.
I expect INEC should go back to the drawing board and review the management of the elections, the role of Adhoc Staffs, and ensure that all those who have been arrested by the police or by other security agencies for disrupting the elections, for announcing fake results or forging fake results, or for deliberately preventing people from voting must be charged before the relevant court, as this would serve as a deterrent to those who would want to do such a thing in another election, but if there is impunity that is not challenged, other anti-democratic elements would want to commit more heinous crimes.”
