African intellectuals and Civil Society activists have condemned what it described as the use of gendarmes to physically expel opposition parliamentarians from the legislative chamber for the passage of an unconstitutional Bill extending the tenure of President Macky Sall into a third term.
The group in a statement said the development was a clear of the rule of law and the democratic rights of the Senegalese people.
They therefore urged the ECOWAS, AU and UN to openly declare the actions of President Sall and the rogue legislators who supported his unconstitutional Bill to be in breach of the Constitution while demanding for an immediate return to the Constitutional order and the scheduled election timeframe.
They stated,”We African intellectuals and Civil Society activists meeting in Abuja this 7th February 2024 organised by The Electoral Forum, wish to express our shock and utter disgust at the use of gendarmes to physically expel opposition parliamentarians from the legislative chamber last night for the passage of an unconstitutional Bill extending the tenure of President Macky Sall into a third term and postponing the presidential elections scheduled for the 25th of February 2024.
“This is a clear violation of the rule of law and the democratic rights of the Senegalese people. It is also in violation of the African Union Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which Senegal has acceded to and domesticated. We therefore urge the Senegalese government to respect the sanctity of the democratic process.
“We have followed with keen interest the determination of the Senegalese people to block all attempts by President Macky Sall to secure a third term and his announcement not to seek such an illegal tenure that is categorically banned by the Constitution of Senegal. It is now clear that his public declaration was a ruse to deceive the people and continue his megalomaniac ambition to extend his rule.
“It is for this reason that he has deployed the police to brutally stop all demonstrations, close down the internet and continue to use the justice system to jail and intimidate all those who oppose his ambition to continue to rule using extra constitutional means.
“President Sall is taking Senegal down the path of political instability, lawlessness and civil unrest and all democratic forces in Africa and the world should converge in a united struggle to stop the drift and maintain Senegal within its democratic tradition.
“We call on the Senegalese people to maintain their dogged struggle for the preservation of democracy. This is a common struggle for all Africans and democratic forces;
“We call on ECOWAS, AU and UN to openly declare the actions of President Sall and the rogue legislators who supported his unconstitutional Bill to be in breach of the Constitution while demanding for an immediate return to the Constitutional order and the scheduled election timeframe.”
The coalition noted that constitutionalism and the organization of elections as and when due are the foundation of democracy which must be preserved.
The statement was endorsed by
Prof Adele Jinadu, The Electoral Forum;
Prof Adebayo Olukoshi, Chairman, The Electoral Forum; Dr Kole Shettima, Abuja, Nigeria; Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Institute for Democratic Governance, Accra, Ghana; Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, Senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development, Abuja; and Prof Mohammad Kuna, Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria.
Others are Dr Charmaine Pereira, Independent Scholar, Abuja; Princess Hamman-Obels, The Electoral Hub, Abuja; Moussa Tchangari, Alternative Espaces Citoyens, Niamey; Adagbo Onoja, Abuja, Nigeria; Dr. Sa’eed Husaini, Abuja, Nigeria; John Odah, Abuja, Nigeria; and Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa, Nigeria.
Also, Professor Victor Adetula, University of Jos, Nigeria; Professor Istifanus Zabadi, Bingham University, Nigeria; West Africa Civil Society Institute; Professor Warisu O Ali, Abuja; Professor Remi Aiyede, University of Ibadan; Bernadette French, Campaign for Good Governance, Sierra lone; Gloria Ukpong, The Electoral Forum, Abuja, Nigeria; Everest Amaefule, The Electoral Forum, Abuja, Nigeria; Okechukwu Ndeche, Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Abuja, Nigeria; Dr. Lassane Ouedraogo, Researcher, CDD West Africa; and E.A. Johnson, Electoral Practitioner, The Electoral Forum.
The Electoral Forum is an initiative of The Electoral Hub that brings together resource persons from Election Management Bodies (EMBs) together with other electoral stakeholders to conceptualize solutions to the unique problems facing electoral governance in Nigeria by addressing both the supply (EMBs) and demand (CSOs etc.) sides of electoral governance and services.
It is chaired by Professor Bayo Olukoshi. Other members of the Forum include Professor Attahiru Jega, former INEC Chairman and Okechukwu Ibeanu, Hajiya Amina Zakari, and Professor Anthonia Simbine, former INEC National Commissioners.
The Forum has been supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and MacArthur Foundation
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