Leaders of two of the key agencies necessary for the holding of successful general elections, the Inde-pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr. Abel Guobadia and Inspector Gen-eral of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun yesterday expressed doubt about the success of the April polls if the current trend of political violence was not checked.

Guobadia and Balogun in their respective addresses to the stakeholders meeting on security and political violence held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja said the level of political violence was capable of destroying the political process if not checked.

The two men spoke as President Olusegun Obasanjo in his open address to the summit identified in effective communication among the nation's political leadership as a key factor exacerbating violence in the country.

Also, two of the 30 registered political parties, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in their submission to the conference want election results announced at polling stations.

Guobadia, the INEC chairman told the conference that: "the electoral process is about to be swallowed by fear, intimidation and harassment." He added that "it is difficult to organize free and fair elections in a politically violent area."

Guobadia noted that it was to curb the increasing trend of political violence that the commission got the leaders of the 30 political parties to sign a code of conduct aimed at regulating their operations.

The INEC chairman who took a swipe at the political leaders for sponsoring violence also accused them of not imbibing the ethics of democracy.

Guobadia said political elite in the country habour hatred and bitterness against themselves, a situation he observed creates rancour and violence.

The INEC chairman called for a change of attitude from the political class, pointing out that the desire for free and fair elections would depend on Nigerians.

He also used the occasion to identify what he described as the hardicaps of the commission in its determination to conduct free and fair elections next month.

Guobadia observed that the dependence of the commission on ad-hoc staff is a great disadvantage. He explained that the electoral body needs an average of 500,000 to 600,000 ad-hoc staff to conduct and supervise the April polls.

This, he said, places the commission at a disadvantage since it cannot control or guarantee the behaviour of these ad-hoc staff.

He appealed to the civil society and university teachers to apply as supervisors to be employed during the general elections so as to raise the quality of the electoral officials.

Guobadia also identified intra and inter party disputes as another cause of political violence. The INEC boss accused the leaders of the political parties of inflaming the political process through their inconsistency in the names of candidates submitted to the commission thereby fanning the embers of violence.

In his presentation, the Inspector General of Police, Balogun, accused some state governments and politicians of being the brains behind political violence in their states.

For instance, he said, "it has been observed with utmost dismay that when some persons who engage in thuggery and political violence are charged to court, some state governments enter nolle prosequi because such accused persons are their political agents."

Balogun warned that the "practice is not in the overall interest of our nascent democracy." "It is a serious threat to a civilized conscience," he said.

The inspector-general, however, announced that over 850 suspected political thugs have been arrested between March last year and March 14 this year.

The police boss traced the growth of political violence to ethnic militia in the polity. He said that in the last few years the country has witnessed an astronomical growth and emergence of illegal security outfits under the guise of vigilante groups.

These vigilante groups, he said, are used as shields by politicians.

"While they performed the role of body guards, they simultaneously acted as agents of vendetta to sometimes make life unbearable to helpless opponents," he said.

He noted that the level of preparedness of the police for the general elections is high. "The level of preparedness of the Nigeria Police Force for the 2003 elections is very high. Manpower has substantially improved, raising the force strength to 250,000.

"There are improvements in the anti- riot equipment holding Force. Efforts have equally been made to improve communication. Government efforts in enhancing the mobility of the Force led to the procurement of I,500 units of vehicles," the IGP said.

He also said that the police have intensified training of officers to meet the challenges of the new Force.

In this regard, he said, "a clear position has been taken to deal fatal blows against thugs, hooligans and agents of political violence." "The Force position on thuggery and political violence will not change until the last thug has been removed from our body polity," he said.

Balogun assured INEC of the security of its personnel and electoral materials. "The police will provide fool-proof security and maintain palpable presence during voting at the polling booths, provide armed escorts to INEC officials and materials as well as armed guards at collation centers," he said.

On the neutrality of the police, Balogun said "We have committed ourselves to playing the role of an impartial umpire, while ensuring strict adherence to the rules of the game, as contained in the Public Order Act and Electoral Act."

President Obasanjo, in his opening address to the one-day meeting which drew participation from most of the national chairmen of the 30 registered political parties, some state governors and governorship candidates amongst others, identified lack of communication among political leadership as one of the factors responsible for the increase in violence in the country.

According to the President, "circulation of rumours which are believed and acted upon without being cross-checked" by party members, "uncontrolled and unchecked misbehavior of supporters and thugs who believe they are doing the bidding of their sponsors" contribute immensely in the escalation of political violence across the land.

Obasanjo also identified the absence of "non-partisan, respected and responsible community leaders who can mediate local disputes and misunderstandings, be it personal, intra-party or inter-party" as equally aiding and abetting political violence.

Emphasizing the need for the establishment of a framework of understanding and mechanism for improving inter-personal relations, intra and inter-party relations, party/security agencies liaison as well as building trust and confidence in each other's willingness to play by the rules, the president proposed a declaration for consideration by the stakeholders meeting in order to eliminate violence in the nation's polity.

The declaration proposed by the President for adoption by the stakeholders reads thus: "I, Olusegun Obasanjo, do hereby declare that I abhor violence in all its ramifications, that as a stakeholder in democracy, I will not do anything, nor encourage any action that will bring the democratic process into disrepute. That I will seek to build consensus and seek dialogue in settling political differences. I pledge to avoid and discourage rise of violence in speech and action to attain political objectives. I pledge to expose all agents of violence within my party and elsewhere. I shall assist the leadership of my party, the Independent National Electoral Commission and law enforcement agents to enforce the rules and regulations against violence. I further pledge that should my utterance and actions tend to fuel violence, I automatically disqualify myself from playing any major role in the political process. So help me God."

Before the declaration, however, Obasanjo had told the stakeholders present that history confronts them from two opposing ends.

"We can make history by effectively exercising firm control over violent political conduct, thereby ensuring that the democratic process survives and serves our people as it should or we can make history by succumbing to the horrifying temptation to allow fear and violence swallow up all the gains and hard work we have put in securing the foundations of our democratic system, thereby betraying our people's genuine faith that we can offer them responsible leadership and service in free democracy."

The President strongly submitted that "The safe and secure path to a genuine democratic future lies in total denunciation of violence in all its ramifications in our political activities." He added however, that the players "must work hard, ... must show higher levels of commitment to democratic ideals, and exhibit qualities of statesmanship" if the goal must be achieved.

This, he said, "Is one option which we share responsibilities, as responsible citizens and as politicians. It is also an option which requires that all agencies and institutions of government with responsibility for enforcing law and order work tirelessly and effectively."

Recalling attempts at ridding the society of violent forces in the past like the public execution of (Ishola) Oyenusi and (Lawrence) Anini, Obasanjo lamented that "With the downturn in the economy today, there is an exacerbation of violent criminal tendencies, especially among the youth" as "there have been cases of people being approached by offers to have their enemies eliminated at no more than N25, 000 per head."

He lamented that, "criminals have cheapened life in Nigeria, and this should not be so because life is sacred and priceless." The president explained that his administration has been acutely aware of the dangerous trends in the society, which it has been seeking ways to arrest.

Previous retreat on Electoral Process and Violence conducted last year, the President said, has achieved the "objective of sounding alarm that without a clear and sincere commitment by political leaders to eliminate sources of, and tendencies towards violent political conduct, these elections we are preparing for will expose Nigerians to high level of fear, deprivation and violence."

The stakeholder meeting, he said, must turn the tide against the negative and destructive tendency. "As players and stakeholders, we must choose to operate more effectively without the severely limiting shackles of political rascality, irresponsibility and violence," which "must be substituted with decency, orderliness, tolerance, wholesome language, lack of threat and intimidation, peace, friendship and good relationship."

Speaking for the ANPP at the stakeholders meeting, its national chairman, Chief Donald Etiebet said one of the ways of curbing political violence in the country is for results of elections to be released at the polling stations and signed by political party agents. The APGA also supported this position.

The ANPP also advised that the suit instituted by the INEC on the Electoral Act 2002 should be withdrawn, just as the electoral commission was also advised to ensure that the allocation of ballot papers to polling stations should be made known to party agents.

Etiebet called for the dismantling of all vigilante groups and ethnic militia by the respective state governments in order to reduce political violence, proposing that state governors who failed to do so should be disqualified from further participation in the political process.

Accusing the PDP-controlled Federal Government of causing some of the problems in the polity, Etiebet said non-release of funds to INEC has put the 2003 elections in jeopardy because preparation for elections have been hampered.

Less than one month to the commencement of elections in the country, he said, INEC is yet to finish the compilation of the voters register, which is supposed to be ready 60 days to the elections. He added that some of the voters registers in different parts of the country had been doctored.

He cited the case of his own ward in Akwa Ibom, which had five polling units completely eliminated by INEC. "As I speak to you now I am not a registered voter in Nigeria," he said.

At the venue of the anti-violence summit, security was heavy. The surrounding of the International Conference Centre venue was filled with both uniformed and plain-cloth security agents.

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Sunday Mbang and Bishop Mike Okonkwo of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFNP) represented the Christian community.

The Muslim Community was equally represented by Sheikh Ahmed Lemu.

The ANPP team included Chief Don Etiebet, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the party's presidential candidate, his deputy, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and governors Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Adamu Aliero, (Kebbi) Mohammed Lawal (Kwara), Abubakar Hashidu (Gombe) and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe).

The PDP had in its fold the national chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh and governors Peter Odili (Rivers), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), DSP Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa), Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna) and Ahmed Mu'azu (Bauchi).