Nov 11 Governorship Elections: Pull your statutory weight, Foundation urge INEC

WITH four days to the off-circle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States, the Uyi and Rachel Lawani (URL) Foundation, Tuesday, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to pull its statutory weight to conduct credible and acceptable elections without fear or favour.

The Co-Convener, URL, Dr Uyi Lawani, in a statement, made the call to INEC to ensure the best performance is displayed before, during and after the elections to boost confidence in citizens again after the various glitches experienced during the 2023 general elections. Uyi said: “All things being equal, off-cycle elections will be held in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states next Saturday, November 11th, 2023.

“These elections will determine who governs these States for four years after the elected governors take their oaths of office.

“The Uyi and Rachel Lawani Foundation know this exercise as a celebration of the best elements of liberal democracy; that people have a say and a choice in who superintends the affairs of the State. We are even more excited at the Foundation that this system of government has taken root in our nation.

“We implore the election umpire, INEC, to perform their duties with every sense of patriotism and responsibility, knowing that the rules should be applied without fear or favour, and without let or hindrance. Nigerians will be watching!

“Meanwhile, he appealed to eligible voters in the three States to sacrifice and keep to their obligation as citizens to come out en mass to exercise their franchise without fear of being attacked and assaulted but should ensure they vote for who they want despite possible inducements that some politicians may offer them.

“We encourage all eligible voters in these States to turn out massively and exercise their franchise as guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is their duty and obligation to do so”, he pointed out. However, he (Uyi) called on security agencies on election duty to keep to the rules of engagement during the elections and not to allow politicians to use them to subvert the electoral process.

“We urge the security agencies, charged with the role of ensuring law, order, and safety, to be diligent, alert, and conscientious. Peaceful elections across these three states on Saturday should be a minimum requirement. Members of the Nigerian Police and Armed Forces deployed for election duty should be neutral and must conduct their duties in a way that demonstrates the highest level of professionalism. Nigerians will be watching”, he said. In conclusion, he strongly advised candidates of the various political parties contesting including their political parties and supporters to be nonviolent before, during and after the election.

“Finally, we call on the contestants, the political parties sponsoring them, and their supporters to eschew violence or the temptation to do so. It is a political contest and only one person can win. The Foundation views the totality of elections and electioneering not as a zero-sum game but as a win-win for everyone in the polity.

“In this regard, we encourage the winners to be magnanimous in victory and the losers to be circumspect in defeat; election losses are not always final, they are sometimes a bump on the road!

“We salute all patriotic Nigerians who have embraced democracy and continue to work to see it flourish in our nation. The URL Foundation is unrelenting in the pursuit of its objective: to elevate the self-awareness and consciousness of the African youth through sound education and adequate equipping”, he added.