Nigeria’s Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Threatens Death to International Election Monitors

Nigeria’s Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Threatens Death to International Election Monitors

By E. Stanley Ukeni

It is rather puzzling to me why the international community has continued to treat irresponsible political and traditional leader in Nigeria with kids’ gloves. Do not understand that the only way to discourage the thuggish behavior of these political scoundrels and their cohorts is to slap them, both individually and collectively, with severe punitive sanctions. 

If their calculus remains that the rewards for their internationally unacceptable threats of violence—and actual violent acts, against their fellow citizens and members of the international community outweighs the consequence of such despicable conducts then they would have no effective disincentive to continue to engage in the incitement of acts of terror.

I am particularly appalled by the muted response from the international community regarding the irresponsibe threat made by the governor of Kaduna State in Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai—threatening international election monitors who are supposed to help monitor the upcoming Nigerian Presidential election with ‘death’.  

  

Speaking on Nigeria’s National Television Authority’s Tuesday Live, on January 22, 2019, El-Rufai is quoted as saying that, “Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags”.

Let’s not mince words here; the above statement is a reprehensible terroristic threat, pure and simple. If any harm should come to any international monitor during the upcoming Presidential and gubernatorial election in Nigeria, El-Rufai should be held criminally and punitively culpable by the international community, and by the families of the victim(s) period.

This brazen incitement to violence must not go unpunished by the international community. I assert that those that willfully engaging in the dark art of political thuggery must not be allowed to go unpunished. There should be no long term reward for this kind of behavior. 

In fact I think that the whole world should show moral outrage, and demand collective action against this sort of irresponsibility. A stern message should be sent El-Rufai that no one should hide behind national sovereignty and threaten the lives of innocent civil liberties campaigners and international election monitors with impunity.   

El-Rufai’s comments came weeks after the international community, including the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union expressed their displeasure over the manner in which the preparation for the forthcoming Presidential and gubernatorial elections in Nigeria is unfolding—particularly after the baseless suspension of the incorruptible Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

It should be recalled that this international rebuke of the unconstitutional executive branch of Nigerian government’s meddling in the affairs of the judiciary branch of government had incurred a warning from  the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, was quoted to have, several weeks ago, stated that the government of Muhammadu Buhari would not condone unfair interference in Nigerian internal politics.

Although I do not endorse any particular political party, or political candidate, in the forthcoming Nigerian Presidential and gubernatorial election it should be noted that governor Nasir El-Rufai is a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress party (APC) and a staunch supporter of the incumbent Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has not publicly and forcefully rebuked his adherent cohort for such blatant incitement of acts of terror against members of the international community is a sure sign that he has lost all moral argument that he is a reliable partner in the fight against international terrorism.

How can any sensible person consider Muhammadu Buhari to be a credible campaigner in the fight to eradicate Boko Haram in Nigeria, when he so obviously sanctions the use of terroristic threats as a means to retain political power? Indeed, his actions could be argued to be similar those being employed by Boko Haram in terrorizing the Nigerian populace.

Although Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking re-election as the president of Nigeria, has steadfastly assured the international community of a free and fair election during the forthcoming election on February 16, 2019, few in Nigeria believe that he actually intends to preside over a free and fair election.

There has been unsubstantiated rumors that Muhammadu Buhari’s reluctance in relinquishing power may be connected to an experimental treatment he is receiving for an undeclared severe sickness that he is suffering from. My source for this information claims that he can only continue to receive this treatment if he remains president of Nigeria. If this proves to be true, it would be the height of selfishness that one individual would compel million to kill and die for him mere to ensure his personal survival.   

In fact, the main opposition political party in Nigeria, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has intimated the international community on the incumbent party’s plans to rig the forthcoming elections in favor of Muhammadu Buhari—and have appealed for international intervention on several issues in order to ensure a free and fair election in Nigeria, on the 16^th of February, 2019.  

I hope that, despite the intimidations by political hacks in Nigeria, the international community would send robust electoral monitoring teams to ensure a free and fair election. Anything short of this would embolden nefarious forces in Nigeria who are hell-bent on rigging the election—a consequence of which may trigger social upheaval.  

Authored by E. Stanley Ukeni, © 2019. All Rights Reserved. This material and other articles or stories posted on this blog site may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed, in whole or in part, without prior expressed written permission from the author, E. Stanley Ukeni.

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