HRW urges Tinubu to prioritise human rights

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organisation, on Thursday, urged the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to place human rights at the centre of both domestic and foreign policy considerations.

Tinubu’s inauguration is billed for Monday, following his victory in the February 25 presidential election, according to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1.

HRW, In a statement published on its website, noted that the election was “blighted by logistical failures and violence at the polls”, despite repeated calls to authorities to pursue accountability for past elections-related abuses and address widespread insecurity.

“Barring a potential opposition victory in petitions to overturn election results, President-elect Tinubu, who is scheduled to be sworn in on May 29, is due to inherit a set of complex national crises including worsening banditry in the Northwest, separatist agitation in the Southeast, and the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

“At this pivotal moment for Africa’s most populous democracy, President-elect Tinubu should place human rights at the center of both domestic and foreign policy considerations”, the group said.

The NGO further advised Tinubu to take aim at critical levels of insecurity, ensure protection for civilians and accountability for rights abuses, protect Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression, and prioritise efforts toward the realisation of an adequate standard of living for all.

Also, the President-elect was reminded that Nigeria has a pivotal role to play, particularly in the West Africa region, by supporting constitutional democracies and standing up for fundamental rights and democratic freedoms.

HRW asked the former governor of Lagos state to promote the independence and respect for the rulings of African human rights institutions and regional courts, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.