The Center for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has commended the General Abdulsalam Abubakar led Peace Committee in making the political parties and their candidates to sign the peace accord.
The organisation also thanked the Oba of Benin, Ewuari III, for calling the political parties and their candidates to order.
In a pre-election statement signed and made available to newsmen Friday in Abuja by its executive director, Faith Nwadishu, said the charges for a peaceful election should be a reference point in the election history “and the roles that our traditional institutions should play in ensuring peaceful and violence-free elections in Nigeria.”
Nwadishu said her organisation has deployed observers across the state to cover the elections “and we shall be sharing reports with the media and on our social media handles as they come in. CTA will maintain a situation room at Elysium 130 hotel, sapele road, Benin City.
“CTA calls on all eligible and registered citizens to come out and vote for candidates of their choice, as it is their right to do so. Your vote is your power and must count.”
The statement called on security agencies and INEC staff, election observers to be neutral, professional and report factually while in the field.
CTA lamented that “Vote trading has become a cankerworm eating deep into our polity and has become an ugly feature of elections in Nigeria today. Politicians have devised many ways to buy votes through gifting people with wrappers, food items and enticing palliatives. This should worry every well-meaning Nigerian. Politicians must desist from vote-buying. Voters should not sell their votes as that will amount to selling their future and mortgaging the future of younger and unborn generations. The law enforcement agencies especially EFCC should be firm, while not going outside the law, in enforcing the electoral law including arresting people engaging in unwholesome practices such as vote trading.”
The statement also called on Edo citizens to eschew violence during the period and at all times as election should not be a do or die affair.
“Violence only brings sorrows and will in no way contribute to the growth of democracy in the state.
“CTA supports the need to arrest individuals involved in election violence and prosecute them to create deterrence and fight impunity. Particularly, thugs that might be mobilized for the purpose of creating chaos and violence should be prosecuted. Their sponsors should be identified and also prosecuted. This will go a long way in curbing the desperation of the political class in our electoral process.”
It expressed concern over the reported influx of small arms and warned on the consequences.
“It is important to note that during our interactions with stakeholders, citizens expressed the fear of potential violence across the entire 18 LGAs and 14 Local Government Areas have been identified as flashpoints, we urge that particular attention is paid to these LGAs. They are; Etsako West, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Owan West and Akoko-Edo in Edo North Senatorial District, Oredo, Orhionmwon, Egor, Ovia North East, and Ikpoba-Okha LGAs in Edo South Senatorial district and Esan Central, Esan North East and Esan West in Edo Central Senatorial district.
“However, we call for particular attention to Estako West, (Both the former APC Chairman and the Incumbent Deputy govern and deputy governorship candidate are from this LGA). Also, to note are Oredo and Orhiomwon, (the LGAs of the two most popular candidates of the 14 governorship candidates for the election). The mandate of ‘You must deliver your area’s mantra for politicians, will be the main reason for the violence.”
