The brazen, crude, scurrilous and totally unwarranted attacks on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission this week, following the EC’s disqualification of four out of 17 presidential aspirants, borders on criminality and an attack on the state, its constitutions and electoral laws and by logical extension our democracy. These constitute potentially treasonable offenses and should not be taken lightly.

We recommend an investigation and possible sanction of the perpetrators. One of the disqualified aspirants called the Chairperson of the EC, “stupid” and “a fool”. A representative of another disqualified party heaped cast criminal insinuations at her and threatened to “spill the beans” about her. Several others threw uncivil remarks at her and threatened to sue her and EC.

The aggrieved presidential aspirants are within their rights to go to court but why precde that with insults on her for performing a constitutional duty? How could people with such an appalling sense of civility and respect for the law present themselves as potential rulers of the nation?

Some critics of the Commission have argued that the country’s electoral laws provide that the EC draws the attention of the aspirants to any mistakes or anomalies detected on their forms, and give the aspirants a chance to correct them. We have no doubt that the EC knows how and when this may be done when required.

As far as we can discern, some of the aspirants displayed such unbelievable sloppiness, carelessness and laziness in the preparation and filing of their nomination and related documents, that it surprising they have found a scapegoat in the EC Chair and launched such vitriolic attacks on her.

The presidency is the highest office of the land and it is only appropriate that the selection of candidates for the presidency is rigorous and painstaking.
The EC’s decision was far from arbitrary: The 12 were disqualified on grounds of anomalies including fraudulent signatures, failure to obtain the requisite number of supporting, improper filling of nomination forms, multiple endorsement of the same candidate’s forms and other breaches.

Some of the breaches are of such a criminal nature, that the EC has said it will refer such cases to police for possible arrest and prosecution. We think this should be done to remind all disposed to treating the country’s constitution and laws with such disdain, that there will always be high price to pay.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has indicated that it will not accept the plea of any political party disqualified in the 2016 presidential race for a reversal of their disqualification and we agree with the EC’s decision

A fellow purporting to speak for one of the political parties which have been disqualified has tried blackmailing the Chair of the EC describing her as an alien who should not be presiding of a national election. We presume alien here is not a reference to an extra-terrestrial being but to a foreigner. The fellow has threatened to “spill the beans about her” if she does not reverse the party’s disqualification.

To this someone else has responded: “If you know she is an alien unqualified to preside over an election why did you file your election documents with her office? You should have taken steps to kick her out long ago, and not now that SHE has kicked you out.”