The Christian Association of Nigeria and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Saβad III, on Monday raised fresh fears on the dangers of electoral violence, which includes all related forms of rigging and hate speech as the country squares up for the 2023 polls.
They, consequently, gave answers on the way to avoid the pitfalls that would have an effect on the 2023 polls.
The President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh and Sultan Abubakar stated these at some stage in the Inclusive Security Dialogue in Abuja and facilitated by way of the Global Peace Foundation in partnership with ADF International and Vision Africa.
The PUNCH reviews that the meeting supplied a platform for network leaders representing numerous dissidents, military, and agitation businesses in Nigeria to unbundle barriers to peace and security in the united states.
The CAN President warned against electoral violence, pronouncing the consequences are capable of truncating the united statesβs democratic manner.
According to him, even as curtailing pre-and publish-electoral violence in Nigeria remained a herculean mission, well-meaning Nigerians and different development partners who want to leave from electoral violence and its attendant consequences should now not be discouraged.
Okoh charged safety companies to be alive to their obligations to implement the law in opposition to perpetrators of election violence, stressing that the peace accord signed by using presidential candidates have to not be a mere formality.
He said, βAlthough seeing that 2014 some leaders of excellent impact in Nigeria led by using a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the platform of National Peace Committee get the commitment of the presidential applicants of events via encouraging them to sign Peace Accord, the security corporations ought to be alive to their responsibilities to put in force the regulation against perpetrators of election violence.
βIt is obvious that the purpose of the National Peace Committee is not just to fulfil all righteousness. The signing of the Peace Accord should be observed up diligently by using law enforcement dealers so as to make certain compliance with the aid of all events with severe effects for breaching the agreement.β
He told both the kingdom and the federal governments to make proper efforts to create employment opportunities for the teeming young people or provide entrepreneurship schooling and investment opportunities for his or her small-scale groups to prevent them from deploying their younger power into the detrimental exercising of electoral violence.
The cleric described the risk of drug and substance abuse via youths as a recipe for electoral violence.
Okoh charged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be impartial in its conduct before, during and after elections.
He said, βINEC must be seen to give a level playing ground to all the candidates and their political parties. The allegations of connivance of the electoral officers with party agents to frustrate voters on the day of the election or to tamper with the election results should not be allowed to resurface in the forth-coming elections. Sometimes post-election violence is triggered by alleged unfairness and injustice demonstrated by the officers of the electoral body.
βThe election of 2023 holds the key to our progress as a nation or our designation as a failed or a failing state.β
The CAN President also stated that religious leaders must be seen to be non-partisan and impartial in their public and private statements in order to gain the respect of all, especially their followers.
Sultan Abubakar, the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, represented by Uztaz (Dr) Hussaini Zakariyya, urged religious leaders in the country to use their platforms to discourage participation in electoral violence among youths.
He said, βReligious leaders are the most important and influential block in every society, especially in Nigeria by their nature and space, very religious people.
βEvery Muslim, every Christian is proud to be what he is and what he believes. And not only that, he is willing to protect that life with all that he has, his belongings and everything he owns.
βTherefore, unless and until religious leaders are involved directly in the peace-building process to bring about peaceful coexistence of Nigerians, there will be no peace. Nobody has actually the power and the influence like just religious leaders.β
Earlier, the President of Vision Africa, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, stated that peace and security in Nigeria are more important than campaigning for votes; warning that the country may be at the precipice of a historic change if care is not taken.
He said, βIf there is no peace, no one will come out to campaign or to vote. With the rate of wanton killing in the country today, an average Nigerian is asking, is Nigeria at war with itself?β Why is it that people can no longer go to the farm without being kidnapped or raped on their own farms, and some even raped in their homes in the presence of members of their family β the cries of our innocent women have gone loud, and if the state cannot protect them, we should worry about them fighting back.
βOur highways which were initially death traps, have also become kidnapping zones, and even the national capital appears to be under siege. If this is not an emergency situation, then what is? The time to act is now.β
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