ABUJA—Barely four days after he vowed to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corperation, NNPC, over the missing $20bn, the president-elect, Mohammadu Buhari has said that his government would not spare any security personnel found guilty of electoral offences in the last general elections.
He said that the crimes of ballot snatching and the prevention of the use of card readers by soldiers must not go unpunished
Making particular reference to Edo, Imo and Rivers States, Buhari said that he had already instructed the affected governors to document all offences alleged to have been perpetrated by the personnel.
According to him, those to be prosecuted cuts across the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Security Service, DSS and other paramilitary organisations.
Buhari disclosed this when he received in audience members of the South East Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC who were at the Defence House in Abuja to congratulate him on his electoral victory.
He commended the efforts of Governors Rochas Okorocha, Adams Oshomole and Chibuike Ameachi of Imo, Edo and Rivers States for preventing the security personnel who attempted to snatch the ballot boxes and disallow the use of card readers.
He said that the governors literally fought on the streets of their respective states to prevent soldiers and some officers of DSS who were involved in the crimes from executing their mission.
Meanwhile, the south east caucus was primarily at the Defense House to solicit Buhari’s assistance in getting the slot of the Speakership or Deputy Speakership of the House of Representatives
But outside this, the caucus also presented the former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu as their preferred choice for the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.
Okorocha who led the caucus said “We know that we have lost out for the position of the senate presidency because we did not have ranking senator returned to the National assembly, we however appeal and we believe that you will be generous enough to consider the south east region to be considered for the position of the SGF”.
Okorocha who is the chairman of the caucus added that Buhari’s victory had helped them from being forced into going on exile.
“We (South east, APC) are more victorious than you are on your victory at the presidential election. May of us would have gone on exile if you had lost. Although, we could not deliver the south east to you, what we were able to do however was to cut down the 7.2 million votes the PDP had projected to get from the south east”, he said.
Also speaking, Onu expressed joy that Buhari’s victory has brought unity to the country.
He said “Nigeria is more united now. The division that existed in the country had been reduced due to Buhari’s victory”.
Responding, the president-elect thanked the caucus for cutting down the volume of votes for the ruling PDP in the zone and reassured them that his government would not discriminate against anyone irrespective of tribe, party or religion.
www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/well-prosecute-security-personnel-for-electoral-offences-buhari/
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
