Nigeria's President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari has said
that his government would go after security personnel found guilty of electoral
offences in the last general elections.
He said electoral crimes like ballot snatching and
prevention of electorates from using card readers are woeful election crimes
that must not go unpunished.
Buhari's threat came on Friday, barely four days after
he vowed to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the
missing $20bn.
He issued the statement while receiving 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.
While speaking, Buhari made particular reference to
Edo, Imo and Rivers States, saying he had already instructed the affected
governors to document all offences alleged to have been perpetrated by the
personnel.
He said the concerned security personnel are in the
Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Security Service, DSS and other
paramilitary organisations across all the states.
He later 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.
The main aim of the visit of 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. However,
they 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.
“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," said Okorocha who led the caucus.
“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."
In his own comment, Onu said, “Nigeria is more united
now. The division that existed in the country had been reduced due to Buhari's
victory."
In his response, Buhari expressed appreciation to the
caucus for cutting down the volume of votes for the ruling PDP in the zone.
He assured them that tribe, religion or party will not
be the basis for discrimination under his government.
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