By Wilson Ruvwoghor
Nigerians, we must do what is right sometimes. What’s peace agreement we are dramatising in Edo? Are Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki bound by provisions of such agreements? Are the provisions or terms of the agreement actionable in court, when breached?
Assuming without conceding that they are actionable, is Ize-Iyama or Obaseki the ones who will directly unleash violence on election day? So if violence still breaks, which is most likely from the warning signs that abound, which will mean breach of the peace agreement, who goes for it?
I am yet to find any provisions of the electoral law or any law of the land that relies on a waste of time called peace agreement to achieve peaceful elections. All the past agreements that were breached, was any of the signing parties sanctioned?
We deliberately shy away from applying strict constitutional provisions to maintain institutional decorum, law and order, and sanction offenders found compromising the laws during elections. Then we try to save face by conjuring diversionary shortcuts that technically shields the supposed prime sponsors of election violence when they happen.
It’s same attitude the police exhibiting towards key actors whose utterances in campaigns and body languages readily expose their inclination to sponsor violence ahead of elections. Rather than closely monitor their footsteps to make them accountable for any unruly behaviours of selves and followers, the Police authorities always busy increasing the numbers of personnel to protect the key actors and beyond aid and abet the harassment of the people, especially perceived opponents.
It’s not the place of police to issue warnings to anyone ahead of elections, to stress that they won’t take kindly to any breach of the process and public peace. That’s defeatist, already suggesting your failure. The laws are there, simply monitor and enforce them against perceived offenders no matter how highly placed.
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Today, an independent arm of government, the Edo State House of Assembly is being deliberately kept under siege, it’s activities grounded in guise of renovation that is not happening, whereas no one is in doubt that the motive is political and the professed excuse unjustified.
Shamefully so, the siege on the Edo Assembly under police watch is being superintended by willing thugs. Since the day lawmakers and staff were ordered out of the assembly, the thugs have remain in charge, made the complex their home where they smoke weeds, sleep and act all manner of impunity.
Ask any Edo Assembly staff. The feedback you get is that these thugs of occupation have vandalised the complex so much that it will gulp quite a fortune and time to fix the increasing damage being done as facilities including fittings, electronics, furniture are being removed by the thugs, it has been confirmed.
Even if the conspiracy of silence among relevant stakeholders over the assembly crisis has made the public accept the propaganda that an Executive Governor removed the roofs over the meeting place of another arm of government in guise of renovation and being chief security officer, what is lawful about the continued thugs occupation and vandalism of the assembly complex?
Overall, as long as law enforcement continues to shy away from its responsibility to preempt violence and keep the peace during elections, peace agreements not binding on key actors will never be effective alternative to keeping the peace.
At best, such agreements are tacit shields to protect the sponsors of election violence, same key actors who such agreements, against prosecution.
Ruvwoghor, a public commentator, wrote from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
