***Amnesty Int’l faults security agencies’ silence on threat against opposition***Threat unacceptable —CISLAC***Democracy is persuasion not intimidation— ActionAid, IPC
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA—Outrage, yesterday, trailed threats by Borno State Youth and Sports Development Commissioner, Sainna Buba, to flog those who refuse to supoort the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 general elections.
Buba had in a viral video that surfaced after the remark he made at a campaign inauguration event organised by the Tinubu City Boy Movement in Maiduguri, last weekend, said: “In politics, sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes it goes with persuasion and sometimes it goes with force.
‘’Right now, we are being persuasive, but we’ve noticed they are throwing jabs at us on TikTok. Well, it is not as if we are inefficient at blowing the whistle on politics.“If they point fingers at us, we will point fingers at them; if they point fingers at us with malicious intent, then we will hold that finger and break it.‘’This government is our government; follow us and enjoy honey. As for those who refuse to follow us, they will be flogged.“We should all be aware that they will bring campaign materials for the state for us all to benefit.’’Amnesty Int’l faults security agencies’ silence on threat against oppositionReacting to te threat, yesterday, human rights organisation, Amnesty International, expressed concern, wondering why security agencies had yet to take action over the matter, despite overwhelming evidence.It, in a statement, described the commissioner as a danger to democracy who must face justice over what it described as subtle incitement.The statement read: “It is deeply concerning that, up till now and despite publicly available evidence, security agencies have not taken any action to hold Mr Sainna Buba to account for his reckless and irresponsible remarks at a rally of the ruling APC in Maiduguri on August 29.“Threatening those who may not vote for APC is not and cannot in any way be figurative. It is a direct threat. The commissioner is a danger to democracy and must face justice for the subtle incitement.”Threat unacceptable—CISLACAlready reacting, the Executive Director, CISLAC/ Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, vehemently condemned and declared the threat as unacceptable.Rafsanjani said: “The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, strongly condemns the reported statement by the Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, threatening that persons who refuse to support the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 general elections would be flogged.“Such a statement, particularly coming from a serving public official, is unacceptable, undemocratic and dangerous to Nigeria’s electoral process.“Democracy is founded on the freedom of citizens to choose their leaders without intimidation, coercion, violence, threats or fear of punishment.“No political party, government official or supporter has the right to determine how Nigerians must vote or threaten consequences against citizens for exercising their constitutional political choices.“Flogging or subjecting because people refuse to support a political party cannot be dismissed merely as political rhetoric or campaign enthusiasm, it is designed to violently undermine human rights of the voters.“Borno State has suffered enormously from Boko Haram violence and now political violence, thuggery, voter intimidation and the weaponisation of vulnerable young people.“It is disturbing when such language comes from an individual occupying public office. A commissioner is a public servant whose responsibility extends to every citizen of the state, irrespective of political affiliation.”Recall that the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, had also warned residents who do not support the, APC to leave the council ahead of the 2027 general elections.The council chairman said his position was informed by what he described as the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Kuje, warning that residents could not benefit from the administration’s interventions and subsequently vote against the APC at the 2027 elections.
