We Didn’t Call for Cancellation of Elections in Kano, Others, Say TMG, CISLAC

 Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Kano State Civil Society Elections Situation Room have condemned an attempt by some people to discredit the credible civil society organisations that have been working hard over the years to ensure electoral integrity in Nigeria.

These civil society organisations accused some faceless groups of using the media to fabricate fake reports that some civil society organisations were calling for the cancellation of the governorship elections in Kano State and other parts of the country.

The CSOs disclosed this in a statement signed by Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Chairman, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, Convener, Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room.

The group who decried the fake news as fictitious and malicious, said they have the potential to further overheat the polity at a time when the political space in Nigeria is already heated up.

“TMG, like CISLAC and the Kano Civil Society Forum have done incredible work towards electoral reforms in Nigeria. Since 1998, TMG has championed the democratic path in Nigeria as the foremost election observation group with the widest membership across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“Ahead of the 2023 general elections, TMG engaged extensively to mobilise citizens to participate actively in the electoral process, while also training and deploying independent observers across the 774 local governments in the country.

“TMG’s position as reflected in the statements it issued throughout the elections has been based on first-hand observation and reports of its observers.

“In the same vein, CISLAC and the Kano Civil Society Forum have contributed their quota through stakeholders’ engagements to ensure electoral security and integrity, while also engaging to improve citizens’ participation. It is therefore unimaginable that these groups of credible organisations would assume any form of partisan position in their actions or words as has been highlighted in these malicious reports,” the statement reads.

The CSOs, however, stated that as credible organisations duly accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the 2023 general election, they understood their roles in the process and have performed such within the ambit of INEC’s guidelines.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it must be categorically stated that as credible organisations duly accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe the 2023 general elections, TMG, CISLAC, and Kano Civil Society Elections Situation Room understood their roles in the process and have performed such within the ambits of INEC’s guidelines.

“As credible organisations, we have efficiently performed our observatory function, drawing up recommendations for improvement in future elections. We will never interfere with the conduct of elections or seek to interfere with the judicial processes leading up to a redress of grievances resulting from the elections.

“As a matter of fact, no genuine civil society group will side with political parties as the position of the group is expected to be apolitical.

“We regard as an act of desperation and selfishness the attempt to rope credible organisations into reports that are clearly politically motivated and sponsored, which claimed to be speaking on behalf of the INEC accredited observer groups in Kano State,” the group said.

Stating their position, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Kano State Civil Society Elections Situation Room said:

“We call on the public to disregard in totality these wild reports making rounds and using the names of credible organisations and calling for the cancellation of the governorship election in Kano State.

“We assure the public that we have never at any time issued such statements nor been a party to such conclusions. We strongly believe in democratic approaches to settling election disputes and encourage all who are not satisfied with the process to seek redress in the court of law.”