Ahead of the September 19 Edo State governorship polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the 14 political parties participating in the polls would sign a peace accord in the coming days.
Despite the tension in the state, INEC expressed optimism that with such efforts, the election would be held peacefully.
Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this during a webinar on Edo and Ondo elections, organised by the Executive Director of International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, and Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.
According to Arogundade, who spoke during the event themed ‘Edo/Ondo elections: The Imperative of Safety Consciousness and Conflict Sensitivity in Media Coverage and Reportage,’ the main duty of journalists during elections is to relay the information that citizens will require to make informed choices.
It is a duty we must not abdicate but which we have to undertake with the utmost sense of professional responsibility so as to set the appropriate pubic interest agenda as far as elections in Edo and Ondo states are concerned.
On his part, Oyekanmi revealed that INEC was ready to conduct the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states scheduled for October 10 despite drumbeats of war as “all the logistics needed for the election have been taken care of.”
READ ALSO: NLC Shelves Planned Port Harcourt Protest
Oyekanmi said:
As we approach the Edo governorship election, it is clear that the people of the state and Nigerians as a whole are very concerned about what will happen on election day. We have all been hearing the loud drumbeats of war from political actors. There have been accusations and counter accusations. Just like everybody else, the commission is deeply concerned.
On proactive measures taken by the commission to address security concerns, consultations with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on election security are on-going. About two weeks ago, the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu led a delegation to meet with the Oba of Benin to ask him to intervene and appeal to political actors to allow a peaceful election.
The respected monarch promised to invite them to his palace for interaction and he has already done so. Plans have also been concluded for all the 14 political parties participating in the election to sign a peace accord in the coming days. With all these efforts, it is our hope that the election will be held peacefully.”