Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, election observer group, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has urged politicians to eschew violence, while also urging security agencies to while the security agencies to ensure that the election is held in a peaceful atmosphere
The group in a statement by its Executive Director, Faith Nwadishi said it will be deploying 50 election observers which have been trained to observe the election across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Nwadishi said as part of preparations for the election, the CTA has engaged in advocacy visits to relevant security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that the election is conducted without hitches.
She said the group earlier engaged stakeholders through a well-attended Stakeholders’ Round-table that included security chiefs, INEC, the media, professional associations, where they all committed to a peaceful, free and fair election.
She said despite the preparations, events in recent past in Edo State political landscape has left much to be worried about by concerned Nigerians adding that there were reported violence among some politicians , their agents and supporters with each seeking for supremacy with counter accusations that has left Edo State bleeding, especially with the killing of a police personnel near the Benin Airport on the 18th of July, 2024.
She said, “As we move closer to the election date, we urge all stakeholders to remain committed to the principles of democracy and fairness. We call on the electorate to exercise their right to vote, and on electoral officials to conduct the election with integrity.”
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy therefore, implore: Political parties and their backers to respect opponents’ rights and adopt nonviolent campaign strategies as they draw close to open campaigns before the election.
“Security agencies must guarantee objectivity, expertise, and timely reaction to violent occurrences. Proactive steps should be taken by the (ICCESS) and a renewed commitment by the Inspector General of Police to guarantee fairness and election integrity during the election as the outcome of the election will be another litmus test for Nigeria democracy.”
