The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has urged politicians and voters alike to shun violence as governorship elections take place in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi today, News About Nigeria reports.
The Chairman, CDD Election Analysis Centre (EAC), Prof. Adele Jinadu, made this plea during a conference in Abuja, urging all stakeholders to behave in a responsible manner and not, in any way, undermine the electoral process.
Speaking also, a member of CDD-EAC, Mrs Funke Baruwa, noted that everyone involved in the electoral process, including the media, civil society organizations, election officials, security agencies, and political parties, among others, should apply all that was learnt from the general elections conducted in February.
She further charged all stakeholders to put in efforts that will ensure that threats of violence, misinformation and inducements during the election are alleviated.
She disclosed that the CDD had evidence-based reports that would inform and interrogate key issues in Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that the centre had deployed over 150 observers and fact-checkers across the three states.
Baruwa also noted that the outcome of the elections holding in the three states of the federation today will impact the political fortunes of the parties involved in a significant manner and, according to her, lay the foundation for subsequent off-cycle elections and the next general elections.
She, however, expressed concerns over the alleged abuse of power of incumbency by governors instituting policies to suppress opposition party voices in their states, stating that this was harmful to the democracy of the country.
