9th August, 2014
PRESS RELEASE:
ARREST
OF LAI MUHAMMAD & POLLING AGENTS DESIGNED TO FAVOUR THE OPPOSITION
The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji
Lai Muhammed was yesterday arrested by security agents. There are also
allegations of arrest of polling agents in some parts of Osun State where the
gubernatorial election took off today.
Although Alhaji Lai
Muhammad has been released, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) are worried
by his arrest.
We wonder what offence he has committed to warrant being arrested on the eve of
a gubernatorial election. His arrest was in bad taste.
It is not good for democracy. The Federal Government (FG) is yet to cultivate the culture
of sportsmanship in politics. Arrest of the opposition, particularly on the eve
of an election is reactionary, conservative and undemocratic.
It is not too difficult for Nigerians to guess the motive for
his arrest. It was designed to destabilize and demobilize him while the ruling
party at the center has a field day. The arrest was also meant to gag the
opposition because Lai Muhammad is the spokesperson of the APC. He is known to
be articulate and fearless. Is FG trying to prevent this man from doing his job
particularly in these crucial moments? What is FG trying to hide?
Whatever happens, the
onus is on the security agents to explain the casus belli for his arrest to
Nigerians and save the citizens the guess work. This is what they owe tax
payers.
The rumour making the rounds about the arrest of polling agents
is an ill wind that will blow nobody any good. It had better not be. MURIC warns that Osun 2014 is a test
tube. It has all the ingredients of a crystal ball for forecasting the conduct
of 2015 general elections. To be or not to be, that is the question.
We therefore call on the FG to caution its security agents.
Overzealousness on the part of those who should maintain law and order will
earn FG a bad name. The attitude of the security agents posted to Osun State
for this election leaves more questions than answers. For instance, why is it
that only members of one party, particularly APC, are being placed under
arrest? Why are some soldiers wearing masks?
We are not impressed
by the silence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the issue
of hooded soldiers and arrest of key opposition leaders. INEC is the only
referee on the election pitch. It should not close its eyes to rough tackles
from either side. There are rules of engagement in elections. No political
party should enjoy the patronage of the security agents at the expense of
others. INEC has a duty to call offenders to order. It should not wait for
litigation at the courts.
Finally, we remind the FG that the world is watching the conduct
of this election. Winning the election after committing acts of impunity will
rob the ‘winner’ of integrity, create bad blood in the state and deprive the
citizens of Osun of the dividends of democracy.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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