The leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students has expressed fears towards 2019 General Elections in view of what it termed as constant harassment and intimidation of those perceived to be in opposition to the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Comrade Chinonso Obasi, NANS President, speaking at a news conference on the state of the nation on Thursday in Abuja, specifically said the linking of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the recent Offa robbery was politically motivated and portends grave danger to the nation’s nascent democracy.
He encouraged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to order, saying portraying Senate President who is the number three man in Nigeria like a “common criminal or murderer” was tantamount to denigrating the Senate, seen as the bastion of democracy in the country.
He also called on the Federal Government to adopt electronic voting in the conduct of the 2019 general elections, so as to allow every vote count.
He said on the trending issue of Bukola Saraki with the police, “perhaps, NANS has not said anything but this might present an opportunity for us to air our views on the issue; because when you say you have assented to the Not Too Young To Run bill and the agency or apparatus that signify democracy is threatened, is as good as saying that you are not being sincere to us.
“You assented to a bill and democracy is under threat. It is not about Bukola Saraki but the Senate. With what is happening, I cannot stand tall outside Nigeria, when people will say the number three man in Nigeria is a murderer, is a thief and so on. It does not go well with us.
“I feel the IGP might have been doing his job but the way he is going about it is like he is witch-hunting Saraki and politically motivated,” he said.
He said, there was the need to provide level play ground for political participation in the county, so as to allow citizens to elect leaders of their choice.
He, futher commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly for passage and assenting into law the Not Too Young To Run bill, while also urging Buhari to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is strengthened in order to deliver free, fair and credible elections in the country.
He condemned the sex-for-marks scandal involving some university lecturers, saying the leadership of the Association has taken steps to end the menace.
