The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday declared that the 2023 general elections will hold as planned. He also urged everyone to do their part to have a peaceful election.
Attahiru Madami, the resident electoral commissioner in charge of Kwara State, gave the assurance while speaking at the 2023 annual lecture of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ), Kwara state council in Ilorin, the state capital.
He charged Nigerians to be responsible and avoid violence to ensure peaceful polls.
Madami, who noted that the commission is prepared to sustain peaceful conduct of elections in the state, added that the state had been recognized for achieving peaceful conduct of elections over the years, especially in 2019.
While assuring the political parties of an unbiased process in the elections in the state, Madami pointed out that one of the reasons for violence during any election is when the umpire is biased.
He says adequate security and involving all law enforcement agencies, are measures to achieve peaceful conduct of the elections.
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“Let’s sustain the peace in the state. Elections can be violent when the umpire is biased. Adequate security should be provided and be civil. INEC has assured that election will hold despite the doubts of some Nigerians. Youths should be admonished to shun violence. Women should do that, especially mothers. We should all preach unity. Violence will take us nowhere”, he said.
The state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who was represented by his special adviser on Strategy, Saadu Salahu, restated his administration’s continued support for the media and newsmen, serving and retired in the state.
He said his administration is committed to a peaceful coexistence of the people of the state, adding that Kwara remains one of the most secure states in the country as attested to by the Inspector General of Police during his recent visit to the state.
Chairman of the occasion, Olu Obafemi(prof) who described the theme of the lecture as very apt, said democracy could not thrive if there are no free and fair elections.
He urged Nigerians not to vote along ethnic and religious lines to safeguard the unity and development of the country.
Delivering his lecture, entitled: “Towards A Peaceful 2023 General Elections, Yusuf Ali, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that election is very important and constitutional in the nation’s democratic governance.
He said that the Electoral Act has stipulated processes and laws governing elections, unlike what was obtained in the olden days when people had to fight to win positions.
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