- Urges INEC, Others to ensure free and fair election.
By kawaekwune Jeffrey
Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has appealed to political actors and stakeholders in the state to prioritize peace and security during the Edo Guber election scheduled to hold this Saturday.
Jonathan in a statement issued by his adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, on Thursday, called on politicians and stakeholders to pursue their interests within the confines of the law and refrain from activities that could undermine the peace and stability of Edo state.
According to the Former President, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should live up to expectations as an unbiased umpire and inspire confidence in all actors through a transparent voting process.
It would be recalled that eligible voters are filling out on Saturday to elect a governor to succeed incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) who would be completing his two term in office later this year. The race is hotly being contested by the PDP, All Progressives Congress(APC) and Labour Party.
While weighing in, Jonathan said: “As citizens of voting age in Edo State go to the polls for the governorship election on Saturday, September 21, 2024, I call on all political actors and stakeholders to work towards deepening the nation’s democracy by prioritizing peace and security of the state.
“Politicians must pursue their interests within the confines of the law and refrain from activities that could undermine the peace and stability of the state. It is encouraging that civil rule has endured in the Fourth Republic for 25 years but we should remind our people that democracy loses its value when citizens cannot exercise their political choices in a free and fair atmosphere.
“In the interest of peace and the integrity of our electoral process, I urge the electoral management body and security agencies to be professional and neutral in discharging their responsibilities. The Edo election scheduled for this weekend places a moral burden on state agencies especially the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rise to their constitutional responsibilities as independent arbiters in our democratic process.”
Jonathan added: “Security agencies must conduct themselves in optimal neutrality and desist from actions that could alter the setting for a level-playing field and compromise the credibility of the electoral process. On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must live up to expectations as an unbiased umpire and inspire confidence in all actors through a transparent voting process. There is no doubt that loss of confidence in an election encourages political disputes, social unrest, voter apathy, increased polarization and other far-reaching consequences that could undermine development and democratic consolidation”.
