JEGA, GAMBARI, ONAIYEKAN, OTHERS RAISE CONCERN OVER 2019 ELECTION
JEGA, GAMBARI, ONAIYEKAN, OTHERS RAISE CONCERN OVER 2019 ELECTION
Former
INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega
Okoh
tasks government on citizens’ security, credible polls
Former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and stakeholders from civil society organisations yesterday in Abuja expressed concern over the nation’s 2019 election and disturbances across the country.
Former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and stakeholders from civil society organisations yesterday in Abuja expressed concern over the nation’s 2019 election and disturbances across the country.
The
stakeholders were worried that the atmosphere of do or die politics and weak
electoral institutions could affect the forthcoming election.
At a
consultative meeting championed by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy
Centre (CISLAC), West Africa Network for Peace (WANEP) and Working Group on
Peace and Good Governance, the elder statesmen also expressed deep concern over
the growing insecurity across the country.
Jega said
whilst there was need to stop the politics of brinkmanship in the country, the
desire by politicians to get to power by all means must be tamed.
He called
on Nigerians, especially civil society organisations to rise up against
excesses of politicians and demand strong policies that would address pre and
post election issues.
He said
political parties must be forced to sign peace deals and a code of conduct that
would enable the populace name and shame offenders.
Onaiyekan
raised concern over growing fake news in the country, stating that the situation
may worsen the current state of affairs in the country.
The
bishop decried that Nigerians are gradually losing the ability to reason
critically by giving in to information and images that are not verifiable.
Gambari
said Nigeria is not facing democratic problem but challenges bothering on
religious and communal violence, widespread corruption, and an excessive
presidentialism amidst enduring poverty, unsustainable levels of unemployment
among the youth, growing inequality, an eroded state-society compact, and
threats to the unity and secularity of the state.
Meanwhile,
the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion Most Rev. Nicholas
Okoh yesterday tasked the Federal Government on security for its citizens
against all forms of attacks on credible elections in 2019.
Okoh, in
Benin City, at the consecration of four new bishops at the St Matthews
Cathedral, said it is the responsibility of government to provide security for
the people but that the realities indicate that government is not doing enough.
“Maybe
they are doing it but they are not doing it comprehensively, they should show
more interest because there is a lot of hue and cry here and there. Christians
don’t have anything to do with herdsmen, infact they are the victims, they are
victims of herdsmen attacks in the nature of things, citizens don’t control the
weapons of war, so the responsibility of protecting the citizenry is that of
the government, if they don’t do it, they have failed in their leadership, if
they do it, then they have succeeded.’’
On the
coming 2019 elections, Okoh said the church has been preaching that things
should go well, “that people should not kill people, that elections should be
free and fair, that justice should prevail.