The International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised the alarm over what it described as the undemocratic activities of some state governors in Nigeria. This comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with some state governments accused of issuing guidelines and orders allegedly targeting opposition political parties.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, the organisation listed Governors Hyacinth Alia, Charles Soludo, Monday Okpebholo, Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodimma and Francis Nwifuru.
The statement was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head of Intersociety; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Department of Campaign and Publicity; and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. Intersociety accused Alia, Soludo and Okpebholo of political intolerance towards Peter Obi.
“Contrary to democratic and good governance principles, Prof. Charles Soludo, as the tenured Governor of the State, with about three years and two months before the next election into his office and three years and six months before the end of his final tenure, has collapsed the governance and machinery of the State into Tinubu’s presidential campaign instruments and attack machinery against Peter Obi, presidential flagbearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,” the group said.
It said, “Painfully, Anambra State under Governor Charles Soludo is presently left with only three governance items: taxation governance, impressive government secondary school free education scheme and impressive public debt management records, but with zero state annual financial reports since March 2022.”
It further stated that the organisation had also received disturbing reports alleging “office power abuses and recklessness by state political actors in Benue, Enugu, Edo, Ebonyi and Imo States, among others, where their respective state governments have resorted to reckless abuse of office power, political rascality and intolerance of dissenting voices and muzzling of civic space by organising direct and indirect attacks and other forms of violence against members of the opposition political parties and their leaders, particularly those of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.”
It warned that Alia, Soludo, Okpebholo, Mbah, Uzodimma and Nwifuru risked being blocked from travelling to Europe and the Americas, adding that they would be “shown the way to Somalia and Afghanistan.”
Intersociety said this was in view of further disturbing reports from Edo, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states, including reported gun attacks by gunmen who opened fire on NDC members during their ward meeting in Enugu, injuring four people; violent threats reportedly issued to local government and community leaders by the Ebonyi State Government; and alleged threats to oust them if the APC does not sweep all the elective seats in the state.
The organisation said there were “similar threats issued by the authorities of the Government of Anambra State and similar acts of abuse of office power, political intolerance and rascality in the states of Benue, Edo and Imo.”
“Intersociety is strongly calling on those state authorities and others planning similar dastardly acts to stop and desist from overheating the polity, stifling the civic space and resorting to crude political exclusion.
“They are also strongly reminded that rights to political participation, including the rights to vote or be voted for, are clearly provided as fundamental human rights under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, especially in Sections 38, 39, 40 and 41 (rights to freedom of thought, conscience, association, assembly and movement).
“It is not only that all forms of such abuse of office, political rascality and intolerance must be stopped and discontinued, but also that all political parties and their presidential candidates must be allowed unrestricted access to political campaign arenas in any part of Nigeria, including Anambra, Benue, Edo, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, among others.
“They must also be protected by such state political actors and deployed security agencies. It is further noted that all the governors mentioned, except Soludo of Anambra State and Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, are also governorship candidates in their respective states in the 2027 general elections.
“If these governors continue to portray themselves and their states as enemies of ballot democracy and axes of electoral militancy and election rigging, we will be forced to invoke our worldwide contacts, networks and partnerships to block them from making foreign trips to Europe and the Americas, as well as from private and diplomatic engagements.
That is to say that we have started compiling their names, with the intent and readiness to submit them to all the 27 European embassies and high commissions and those of the Americas, including the United States and Canada, and other strategic quarters in their home governments.
“As a matter of fact, we will be compelled to force them into travelling to the battered countries of Somalia and Afghanistan—the world’s hellfire countries and homes to enemies of democracy, democratic free speech, civic spaces, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Intersociety cautioned.
Meanwhile, the organisation also expressed uncertainty over whether the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would deliver credible polls. It also said opposition leaders were not doing enough to pressure the commission into doing the right thing.
