2023 Guber Polls: Group Warns Against Violence

A non-governmental organisation, Community Initiative for Enhanced Peace And Development (CIEPD), has warned the electorate and other political actors not to resort to violence during the governorship and state Houses of Assembly election billed for tomorrow across the country.
Stating this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the group also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure early distribution of election materials.
Executive Director of the organisation, Mrs Egondu Ogbalor, urged the INEC to communicate to Nigerians the procedure of transmission of result for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
According to her, “We are also mindful of the discretional power that the Electoral Act bestowed on INEC in Section 63 of the Electoral Act, that voting and transmission of result under the Act shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission.
“We are therefore calling on INEC to communicate clearly to Nigerians the procedure of transmission that they have determined for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly election and abide by it”, she said.
Ogbalor also called on those who are aggrieved during the presidential and National Assembly elections to go to court, saying that violence is not an option for any redress.
She called on the National Youth Service Corps ((NYSC) to advise corpers who will be involved in the election as adhoc staff to desist from taking bribe to do the wrong thing.
Ogbalor also called on the security agencies to be proactive during the election.
“We are calling on the security agents to take these jobs serious by providing apolitical securitu of the electorate in Rivers State.
“We call on the military to extend the show of force parade especially in areas with security threat”, she said.

By: John Bibor