Friday, March 29, 2024

Civil society group tasks security agencies on synergy to tackle electoral violence

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  • EU observers harp on best practices

Centre for Transparency Advocacy on Wednesday, tasked security agencies on the need to synergize to guard against breakdown of law and order during and after the general elections.

The Executive Director of the election observer group, Ms Faith Nwadishi made the call in Abuja, at the North-central stakeholders meeting in preparation toward the 2023 general elections.

While saying that security was a critical aspect of the electoral process that requires attention, security agencies should up their game in ensuring safety of lives during the entire electoral process.

She said: “INEC has recently raised an alarm indicating that insecurity may stall the 2023 elections.

“Citizens too have had cause to worry over the ugly and alarming trend of burning INEC offices and materials in recent times.

“This dangerous and criminal act, if unchecked, could pose a grave danger to the 2023 general elections.

“All men and women of goodwill should condemn these senseless attacks while joining hands to quench this ugly trend.

“We expect better synergy between the police, the lead security agency on election security and other members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCESS) with stakeholders on election,” he said.

Nwadishi further urged the agencies to share important information with other stakeholders especially on flash points.

The executive director urged the electorate to say no to money politics, all forms of inducement and money laundering associated with politics and elections.

“Citizens’ choices must never be subverted by the negative use of money to influence votes including the criminal purchases of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by politicians.

“We recognise clearly that the symbolic presence of law enforcement agents at polling units on election has not deterred vote buying.

“It is, therefore, important that a more result-oriented method like covert operations be adopted to curb this menace.”

Representatives of Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were in attendance at the event.

18 parties sign peace accord in Delta ahead of general election

Meanwhile, eighteen political parties featuring in the 2023 general election in Delta State have signed a peace accord toward ensuring a rancour free poll.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rev. Monday Udoh-Tom, the state Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Electoral Commissioner said the accord was to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

He said that INEC in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations and stakeholders deemed it necessary to sign the accord in order to ensure that the election was carried out in an atmosphere of peace.

Udoh-Tom said that no meaningful development can thrive in an environment of war, violence, crisis and conflicts.

“Where there is peace, there is a sustaining meaningful development, peaceful atmosphere and joy,” he said.

He also said that the peace pact was in demonstration of the commission’s resolve to provide a level playing field for all political parties, to enable citizens to come out without fear to cast their votes.

Udoh-Tom expressed displeasure over the absence of some political actors at the event.

In his remarks, the National Coordinator, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, Sheriff Mulade, said that the importance of peace in any process cannot be overemphasized.

Mulade said that the election was meant to be peaceful for the voice of the people to count.

“We are working toward a peaceful election. We stand on peace, support peace and encourage peace for a peaceful election,” he said.

The representative of the Commissioner of Police, SP Michael Obekpa said that the police and other security agencies have concluded necessary arrangements to ensure a peaceful electioneering process.

Obekpa said that adequate officers have been assigned to all the polling units and those to accompany and secure the election materials across the state.

He said that the security agencies were conversant with challenges being faced during the election and assured of measures to ensure a hitch free process.

“We urge citizens to be law abiding,” he said.

Also, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Precious Nwadimuya, said that the association had assembled a team to monitor the election to ensure duly prosecution of violators of the law.

The representative of the National Orientation Agency, Chris Anyabuine, appealed to political parties and citizens to embrace peace, saying that the signing of the peace accord was aimed at ensuring peace before, during and after the election.

The representative of the Transition Monitoring Group, Edewor Egegemgbe, charged all the political parties to ensure that the spirit of the peace pact remained sacred in their hearts.

Mrs. Angela Esodeghe, the state INEC Head of Legal Services, said the accord would ensure free, fair and credible elections that will be acceptable to all.

EU observers harp on best practices

Also, the European Observation Mission Nigeria 2023 on Tuesday advised Nigerians to ensure international best practices at the nation’s forthcoming general elections.

A team of two EU Longer Team Observers – Marko Logar and Ms. Agnieszka Gorna – gave the advice during a courtesy visit to the Lagos Office of the News Agency of Nigeria.

They were received by the Acting Head of Lagos Operations of NAN, Abdulfatah Babatunde, and some other senior staff of the agency.

Lorga and Gorna are in charge of the 2023 General Elections observation in Lagos State on behalf of the mission.

Logar said that the team had been observing election campaigns and preparations by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to him, the team has also been meeting critical stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the judiciary and the media.

Logar said that the mission’s observations as well as its final report on the elections would be presented by its chief observer.

“We are meeting people, gathering information, analysing them and providing information,” he said.

Gorna added: “We are not supporting any political party. We ask people what their thoughts are. We will be open to all comments and criticisms.

“We would like to be visible and transparent. We have nothing to hide,” she said.

Gorna said that the team expected the elections to be conducted in line with international best practices.

“Everything should be according to the law, the Electoral Law, following international practices,” she urged.

She added that the mission was doing its best to fact-check information pushed out on social media.

“We need to be very careful about misinformation and disinformation.”

According to her, the EU has 20 teams of observers in Nigeria for the general elections.

Responding, Babatunde, who welcomed the team, said that NAN remained a major media content provider, with offices in the 36 states of the federation besides its headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory.

He added that the agency had 12 zonal offices, district offices and foreign offices.

He said that the agency was extensively and objectively reporting the process of the general elections.

“Everything that will make it a success is what we are after. We can assure you that we are giving a good reportage of all the activities.

“We have been covering all the political parties to give every one of them a voice. We extend equal coverage to all of them. We do not discriminate.

“We give all political parties equal opportunities to sell their candidates and manifestoes. We report events as we see them,” he said.

Other senior staff of NAN at the event included a Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Head of NAN Lagos Editorial Operations, Folorunso Poroye, and a Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Joe Idika. (NAN)

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