Don’t use your position to intimidate electorates- Forum tells security agencies

By Abubakar Ojimaojo

Women In Politics Forum (WIPF) has called on all security agencies to prioritize the Protection of lives and Properties, adding that they not to used their position to intimidate the electorates but use it to support them to have a seamless election day experience.
The forum in partnership with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) with the recent launch of the N-Alerts app to ensure the safety of Nigerians at the 2023 polls and we urge all Civil Society Organizations deploying observers to make use of the N-Alerts as part of the measures to combat violence against women in the forthcoming elections.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, The President of the forum Ebere Ifendu also called on all Nigerian citizens who are eligible to vote to come out, vote peacefully, and protect their vote.
Ebere said, “We call on all security agencies to prioritize the protection of lives and properties. We urge security agencies not to use their position to intimidate the electorate but use the position to support electorates to have a seamless election day experience.
“We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to the provisions contained in the electoral act for a free, fair, and credible 2023 General Election. We urge INEC to ensure that ad-hoc staff is treated fairly, to carry out their role effectively and efficiently.
“We call on all observers to obey the guidelines and provisions for election observation. Observers should observe and report, remembering that intervening is not part of their roles on Election day.
“We call on all political parties to ensure that all their agents on election day obey the guidelines and provisions on election day, and information and reports that will provoke the populace to violence, chaos, and conflict should be avoided completely”.
Speaking further, she urged political parties to activate structures that give women the opportunity to assume decision-making positions within the political party structure other than the Woman Leader and Welfare positions.
She explained that Incidences of electoral violence can then be reported immediately from the observer’s location to the NSCDC and will be acted upon swiftly once the command in charge receives a signal for action and The N-Alerts application is available on the play store and can be downloaded easily.
“Violence Against Women has increased significantly especially in politics during this electioneering cycle. Women have experienced different forms of violence ranging from sexual harassment, bullying, blackmail, and even murder.
According to her, women In Politics Forum will be deploying 100 election observers in 11 states in the 2023 General Election in Nigeria; Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Kogi, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and the FCT.