Snatch ballot box and pay with your life — Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that anyone who snatches ballot boxes during election would be doing so at the “expense of his life”.

Mr Buhari said this on Monday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

“I really gave the military and police order to be ruthless… Anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch ballot boxes or disturbs the voting system will do so at the expense of his own life,” Buhari said.

The President reprimanded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the postponement of elections.

He added that the electoral body displayed “incompetence” despite all necessary support his administration gave to ensure seamless exercise.

He threatened to look into the composition of the commission as suggested by the party’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who claimed that the body had been compromised and was working in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Definitely, INEC must explain to Nigerians what happened, the constitution and the law protects INEC but they must not take us for granted.

“If we had failed to provide all what INEC wanted, then we would have been held responsible. So at least after the elections we will have to go into details to find out what happened,” Buhari said.