Political actors responsible for electoral violence – Hassan Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Matthew Kukah on Wednesday blamed political actors for electoral violence, in the country, and called on them to play according to the rules.

The respected cleric, who made the disclosure in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said efforts were ongoing to ensure that politicians are held responsible for any violence that breaks out during elections.

“The problem has been some of the (political) actors in these processes,” he said.

“They see the dangers that are posed by all these crises. INEC continues to wrestle with the problem of who is responsible?

“The security agencies tell you that we are here to just keep order. INEC does not have the capacity and is overwhelmed by court cases.”

As part of efforts to consolidate Nigeria’s democracy, Kukah said the National Peace Committee is exploring options to improve the electoral process.

One of such measures, according to him, is for political parties and their candidates to sign the peace accord early enough before the commencement of elections.

“This nation is not short of laws, the question is the lack of goodwill to implement the laws. We are exploring all kinds of other dynamics to improve this process,” he added.

While calling on political parties and their supporters to play by the rules in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, Kukah said the National Peace Committee is committed to the peaceful conduct of the poll.

He recalled that the committee was created in 2015 to douse the fear among Nigerians in the build-up to the general elections.

With Channels Television report