A coalition of Civil Society Organisation identified as West African Network of Elections Observers (WANECO), on Thursday, condemned the statement made by Amnesty International on the Saturday March 23rd supplementary election held in Kano State.
The group charged with monitoring elections in the Sub-regions, met in Abuja to review, deliberate and conclude on issues surrounding the recently concluded 2019 elections in Nigeria.
The General Secretary, Lukman Abiola made available to Newsmen, the resolution of the organisation where it agreed that the 2019 elections where generally free and fair across the country although there were few challenges experienced.
The organisation appreciated all efforts and comments made by other international observers like ECOWAS, European Union and Commonwealth but also emphasised the need to improve the electoral process further especially as it relates to the uniform application of the Electoral Act.
Addressing the comments made by the Amnesty International, which it described as unnecesary and negative, the organisation said:
“Our network condemns in very strong terms the comments credited to Amnesty International that seeks to suggest that Kano is an exceptional case of electoral violence. We insist that these comments were made in bad faith and in pursuit of a predetermined agenda.
“The network wish to state that the Amnesty International is not an election observer but a human right organisation. Those who observed elections like us can confirm that elections have held and a winner has been declared. Nigerians in Kano, Plateau and other parts of the country have made their choice.
“We wish to counsel Amnesty International and their agents to desist from making comments capable of inciting the God fearing citizens of Nigeria especially in Kano State.
“We there wish to urge the Executive Governor of Kano State to immediately establish a commission of Inquiry to look into the cases of electoral violence and bring the perpetrators to book.
“Members of our network will constitute and Independent Civil Society fact finding mission to visit Kano, Benue and River States by the third week of April to comprehensively assess the situation and make recommendations to government.
“The network wishes to plead with citizens of Nigeria to accept the outcome of the elections and resist the effort of fifth columnist like Amnesty International who want to magnify the issues of violence for their own selfish interest.” the organisation added.
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