The National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA) has appealed to every citizen of Edo State to embrace peace at this election period and to realize that their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is specifically for them to cast their vote for any candidate of their choice and not to be used to violate the Electoral Act or guidelines.
The NCAA in a statement issued to newsmen in Benin City by the state coordinator, and President Forum of Nigerian Women in Politics, FONWIP, Hon. D’ness. Amb. Florence Gbinigie, called on the youths not to allow themselves to be used as electoral conflict tools in the hands of mischief makers or electoral conflict merchants.
“The youths should understand that a tool is dropped when it is no longer needed, therefore, the need to be wise when faced with such choice(s) is paramount.
“For women suffer the outcome of violence more, hence we are soliciting for peace now. We condem in strong terms the recent political violence that took place along airport road which took the life of a police officer, with some others critical injured.
“We all know that conflict and violent extremism is always high. Citizens, contestants and their supporters should be able to control their emotions at all times and use peaceful ways to drive home their grievances without resorting to killings, maiming or destroying lives and properties. This act can take our dear state very far backward and that is why we are saying “No To Electoral Violence”.
“Politically, it is quite disturbing that over the years, despite all campaigns and signing of peace accords by candidates and other political actors, wherein they pledged their allegiance to peaceful conducts before the election, on the election day and after the election, election related violence still continue to bedevil the society and as a result of this, the citizens have developed apathy towards the whole process.
“A look at Nigeria today and Edo State in particular shows that our beloved nation is deep in crises. On all sides, Nigeria is buffeted by problems. The level of insecurity is unprecedented. So much so that bandits have taken over forests that our farmers can no longer go to farms hence the high rate of food insecurity, hunger and poverty. The rate of kidnapping has soar disastrously that the citizens can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed or go about social life, with free movement. Consequently the story is not different in other spheres of the economy,” according to the statement.
NCAA, which is a network of Civil Society Groups, working in the area of gender and advocacy, further noted that over the years it has been observed that the atmosphere before, during and immediately after elections are so tensed due to electoral violence and all kinds of conflicts which are associated with the particular election and the level of chaos, killings, destruction of properties, derogatory name callings, is so overwhelming.
“As much as certain attitude, behavior and character cannot be isolated at a time like this. For the fairness and credibility of the process, we therefore advocate that for the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election to be peaceful and credible, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC should review and strengthen their logistics operational strategy to ensure that ad-hoc officials are adequately trained for mastering the electronic voting machines and its optimal effectiveness, including all electoral instruments to be used throughout the voting process and beyond, until the declaration of the results and winning candidate.
“The Deployment of electoral materials and personnel to designated polling units/centres should be timely as this will encourage greater participation and help to address the issue of disenfranchisement.
“The number of the BIVAS machines should be regulated at each polling unit to match the number of voters. This will go a long way to reduce all forms of irregularities and suspicion among all the electoral stakeholders including voters.
“All security agencies which include the Police, the Military, the Immigration, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Commission, or whichever security outfits proposed to be used for the election should have their capacities built on responsibilities on election-day engagement.
“The National Orientation Agency and other state and non state actors on information dissemination in the state should begin now to educate all stakeholders on election ethics and behavioral expectations from each stakeholder,” the statement said.
Other members of the NCAA are Agatha Osieke, Asst. Coordinator, ED, WOCAP; Onome Otueroro, Christabel Otueroro Foundation (COF), Secretary; Prof. Margaret Abikwi, 100 Women Lobby Group, Edo State; Barr. Violet Olumese, FIDA, Edo; Ijeoma Ekuozor, I See Women and Children; Joy Adodo, Foundation Builders, Nigeria; Ochulor Dorothy Katherine, Business and Professional Women, Edo State; Joy Irabor, Stand Up For Teens and Children Foundation, and Grace Obakhina, Caring Hearts Initiative.
