Bayelsa, Kogi Polls: N/Assembly Vows to Probe Violence, Killings
POLITICS DIGEDST – The National Assembly has resolved to probe the violence and killings that rocked the just concluded Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship elections.
The two chambers of the National Assembly at their plenaries on Tuesday resolved to probe the violence during the governorship elections in the two states.
At the House of Representatives, a resolution was passed for the constitution of a committee to probe the violence and killings.
The resolution followed a motion by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) urging the parliament to investigate the killings and violence during the polls.
He noted that the violence was unfortunate as it claimed lives including that of the PDP woman leader who was allegedly locked up in her apartment and burnt to death. However, some APC legislators, led by the Deputy Speaker, Ibrahim Idris Wase (APC, Plateau countered the arguments by Okechukwu saying that, the motion wanted to implicate a certain side while exonerating others.
In his contribution to the debate, the House Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno) however said the motion deserved the approval of the House, except for the part doubting the outcome of the polls.
Monguno therefore recommended the setting up of a “special commission” to punish perpetrators of violence at elections. Lending his voice, Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) defended Okechukwu’s motion.
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A minute’s silence was observed for the people killed in the Kogi elections after a motion moved by Chukwuma Umeoji (PDP, Anambra). Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over the plenary, supported the probe into the alleged politically-motivated killings in the last governorship poll and Kogi West senatorial rerun in Kogi State.
He however issued a caveat, that the report of the committee should not make reference to any party involved in the last Kogi State governorship poll and senatorial rerun elections, “whether PDP, APC or SDP”. Similarly, the Senate yesterday condemned the violence that trailed the polls.
A motion sponsored by Senator George Thompson Sekibo (PDP Rivers East) said Nigerian elections in the fourth republic from its commencement in 1999 have been stained with electoral violence.
Contributing to the debate, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, called for the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators of the heinous crime to deter others.
The leader of the Senate, Abdullahi Yahaya (APC, Kebbi North) said; “There is need for us to get the security agencies to really do their job. Our failure to prosecute and punish perpetrators who are known is going to lead to the perpetuation of this act, because it adds to the impunity of the process.
“Therefore, I think it is important if the minority leader and myself can come up with a bi-partisan bill and look at punishment for electoral violence.”
Adopting the motion, Senate President Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan urged security agents to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
