Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Pan-African Women Project, a foreign election observer group from South Africa, has cautioned the military against harassment of election observers who would be monitoring the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday in Ebonyi State.
The group alleged that during the last presidential and National Assembly elections, reports available to it showed that election observers including some journalists were harassed and detained while they were discharging their lawful duties.
The leader of the group, Lebogang Mhkize, at a press conference held in Abakaliki, the state capital, appealed to the security agencies especially the army to accord election officials necessary support to discharge their duties.
“We also wish to call on the security agents not to allow themselves to be used by the political class to intimidate, harass or cause fear in the electorate, electoral officers, media personnel and election observers in any way as there were reported cases of harassment perpetrated on some journalists and election observers by soldiers in the last presidential poll,” Mkhize added.