Political Parties in Esanland Commit to Violence Free Elections

By Lucky Isibor 

Ahead the 2023 general elections which will commence 25 February, political parties operating in Esan land, Edo Central Senatorial District has vowed to ensure a peaceful and violence free elections and went ahead to sign a peace accord to demonstrate their seriousness to their commitment. The political parties made the commitments at the peace agreement signing ceremony by political parties organised by the Uromi Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (JDPCI) of the Uromi Catholic Diocese held Thursday, 16 February  during the annual stakeholders congress/peace accord held at Uromi. 

In his welcome address, the Executive Director,  Uromi JDPCI, Very Rev. Fr. (Dr) Fidelis Arhedo said Nigeria can regain their country through the 2023 general elections and appealed to Nigerians with the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) should cast their vote without fear or intimidation. The clergy man appealed to Esan people and Nigerians in general not to create problems before, during and after the general elections noting that the problems confronting Nigeria and Nigerians are enormous and urged them to strive to uphold and defend human rights that tend to severe and quarantine human dignity and the sanctity of human life.

"We can regain Nigeria through these great elections for Nigeria as a great nation. We, Nigerians must be united to defend Nigeria's sovereignty and protect this project through this election. This general election must be credible by being free, fair and peaceful. As such, Nigerians with PVC should cast their vote without fear or intimidation. We must be certain too that violence has no place in democratic election either before, during or after elections. 

"My beloved friends, we gather here today, to agree on a common goal which is to have a free, fair and peaceful election through out Esan land which is Edo Central Senatorial District.  Let us therefore reaffirm our commitment to the development and unity of our land by coming together to declare our intention for peaceful and a violence free election".

In a remark, representative of the Electoral Officer,  Esan North-East Local Government Area, Mrs Stella Idahosa assured of the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and credible election noting that its resolve prompted the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine to eliminate all forms of electoral manipulation.

According to the representative of the E.O., "INEC has introduced BVAS machine, which makes the election easy, makes it fast and safe. The idea of taking results to collation centre and maybe along the way you are attacked is no longer there, with the BVAS you get the information immediately from the various polling units and various wards. After voting, just stay a reasonable distance from the polling area to ensure they comply with the rules by doing what they are supposed to do during counting because they have given INEC bad name. Don't sell your votes, don't buy votes, don't sell your PVC, don't sell your  conscience, do the right thing by using your PVC wisely, don't be intimidated".

In a paper presentation titled "Promoting Human Rights for Violence Free Society" by the Edo State Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Olumide Dosumu who joined the event via zoom, appealed to political party leaders  and their candidates to avoid the deployment of hate speech in their campaigns; noting that hate speech is one of the issues that trigger violence during electioneering. He said the National Human Rights Commission has established a hate speech register to document promoters of hate speech and appealed to the police and other security agencies to be professional in their discharge of election duties adding that they should deploy even handed policing and protect voters from violence. 

In another perspective to the paper titled "Promoting Human Rights for Violence Free Society" by the Edo State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Moses Teo Ajayi appealed to politicians and the electorate to have confidence in the electoral process pointing out that INEC is the only body to collate election results, counseling that even when a candidate that's popular in your area and wins in that area, it does not mean that the same candidate has won the election and does not mean he may win the election. 

Ajayi berated politicians and a presidential candidate who has declared their party and presidential candidate winnee of the election even before the elections are conducted. 

In a goodwill message, the Director, Catholic CHESS, Very Rev Fr, Johnbosco Eizehi urged the people to use their PVC wisely and enthrone a people friendly government. 

According to him, "The power to enthrone good leaders is in your hands, with your PVC. You know those contesting, you know their past, you know their antecedents; so use your PVC to enthrone good leaders or bad leaders as you may deem fit.

High point of the event was the signing of the peace accord by the representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), while representatives of the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Directorate of State Services DSS signed as witnesses to the agreement.  Participants frowned at the absence of the other political parties at the peace accord signing ceremony as the organisers affirmed that all the political parties were duly invited to the ceremony.