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Rally for Peaceful Election : PRESS RELEASE

 PRESS RELEASE 

Stakeholders have continued to meet and interact on the Rally for Peaceful Election platform. We focused on Emerging Threats to Peace in 2023 General Elections, South-South, Nigeria. We had six (6) episodes before the Presidential and National Assembly elections with discussants drawn from the following States Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta and Edo States. Our focus remained peace before, during and after the elections. During the 7th episode, we had the opportunity to analyze the elections that held on February 25th, 2023 across the country.

We observed that some of the emerging threats identified during the course of discussion came bare. Some of these threats included but not limited to effect of poor voters education, intimidation of various forms, inability to locate new polling units, inability of eligible voters to get their PVC, poor logistic arrangement, sabotaging the BVAS etc. We must commend Nigerians for their peaceful conduct despite all the obvious challenges and pockets of crisis from supremacy tussle in different locations.

We observed that lots of persons were voting for the first time and they must be encouraged to continue to vote.       

Considering the localized nature of the March 11th Governorship, State and some National Assembly elections, there is the need to call sustenance of the peace and increased voters participation. Due to the crisis that erupted in some locations, the mixed feelings trailing the announcement of the presidential election result and the perceived impression that votes do not count; there is the need for Actors in the 2023 Elections to make some statements:

 

1.      That the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would need to come out to make public statement to address and reassure voters that the challenges if logistics, proper use of BVAS and the result collation process has been addressed; there is the need to organize a quick refresher training for all ad-hoc staff.

2.      That all the Security Agencies (Police, Military, DSS, NSCDC etc) should properly re-orientate their personnel with refresher training on how to conduct themselves during elections; the various arms of the Security Agencies should make public statement to reassure voters their level of involvement in the election without elements of voters intimidation.

3.      That the State Governors (as Chief Security Officers of their state), the Candidates, Leaders of political parties should talk to their followers to be peaceful in their conducts (words and actions); they should make their supporters know that their political ambition should not distort the exiting peace in the society. The Party Agents need to re-orientated and trained on abiding with the Electoral Guidelines.  

4.      That the Civil Society Organization and other Non-State Actors should intensify voter’s education, encourage Voters to participate in the forthcoming coming election; they should also support INEC to ensure that Citizens understand and abide by the Electoral Guidelines. Those who have been engaged as Election Observer should be conscious of their conduct by avoiding demonstration of bias to any candidate or political party.

5.      That the Journalists and media out fists remain objective in their balanced reportage as well as intensifying their effort in debunking fake news, correcting misinformation.              

 

For the Conveners of Rally for Peaceful Election:

  

Dr. Bright Oniovokukor        Dr. Jude Obasanmi Phd                     Comr. Ufuoma Akpobi

Convener                                Co-Convener                                      Co-Convener

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