18th January, 2019
Stakeholders at a one-day community dialogue on anti-corruption, transparency and accountability in Kogi, have called for strict adherence to electoral rules by institutions tasked with the conduct of the forthcoming elections.
The stakeholders made the call on Friday in Lokoja, during the dialogue organised by Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), in collaboration with the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation and supported by MacArthur Foundation.
In his submission, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza, Chairman, Kogi council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said that strict adherence to electoral rules by institutions was the only way to ensure credible elections.
Adeiza held that the 2019 elections would only be credible, free and fair when the will of the people was not subverted by the stakeholders.
He stressed that the roles of INEC and security agencies were crucial to the success of the elections, and advised Nigerians to guard against violating the electoral guidelines.
Also speaking, Mr Donatus Okpe, former Managing Director of Kogi-owned weekly tabloid, “The Graphic Newspaper”, said that the institutions should remember that their allegiance was to the constitution of the country, and not political leaders.
Okpe decried the massive hate language in the campaigns, and urged the media, particularly the broadcast, to dwell on issues and balance the news so as to be fair to all.
Mrs. Gift Owonipa, Programme Manager of ActionAid Nigeria, said that promotion of accountability and transparency in electoral processes was a major determinant of credibility of the polls.
Owonipa cautioned voters against vote selling, and urged eligible voters to vote candidates based on merit.
Earlier, Mr Idris Miliki, Executive Director, CHRCR, organisers of the programme, had said that it was aimed at equipping the electorates, the Civil Society and the Media on electoral rules and guidelines. (NAN)