Stakeholders in Benue state have collectively agreed to contribute to all efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful elections in the state in line with the Nigerian constitution, the electoral act and other relevant laws.
The stakeholders made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of a “High Level Dialogue Forum on Peaceful 2019 Elections in Benue”, jointly organized by the National Peace Committee, NPC , Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the United Nations, UN.
The communiqué stressed the importance of free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections to democratic consolidation in Benue State and its overall impact on the democratic process in Nigeria.
It read in part, “We acknowledge ongoing efforts in Benue State to promote peaceful elections particularly, the signing of a Peace Accord on 8 January 2019 by political parties and actors within the auspices of the INEC; and urge them to respect these commitments.
“We commend the efforts of the NPC and lNEC in promoting peaceful elections in Benue State, and particularly recognize the support of the United Nations to the NPC and lNEC, in jointly organizing this event and similar initiatives in other States.
The meeting praised the efforts the UN in concert with ECOWAS and other partners to promote peaceful elections in Nigeria and in Benue State in particular.
It also noted ongoing measures to provide a secure environment for the elections in Benue State and said they will count on the professionalism of the police and other security institutions, the media, civil society, as well as the judiciary, in addressing threats to security and disputes arising from elections with utmost respect for human rights and the rule of law.
“We commit to demonstrate exemplary leadership and exercise our responsibilities as key stakeholders in the state by educating our people, in denouncing all forms of incitement to hate before, during and after the elections, that may undermine the peace loving nature of the Benue people;
“We express our collective desire and determination that the elections in Benue State will be held in an environment that is enabling for the respect of human rights, particularly the rights of women, persons with disability and other vulnerable groups;
“We clearly resolve to denounce any attempt by individuals or political parties aimed at instrumentalising the elections in Benue State, to ferment violence as a means of furthering their political objectives”
The meeting further called on the United Nations, ECOWAS and other partners to continue supporting initiatives aimed at promoting peaceful elections in Nigeria.
They also urged all Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliations, to make it a conscious decision to prevent violence and ensure a peaceful 2019 elections in Benue State.
The meeting was graced by candidates for gubernatorial and state assembly elections, representatives of political parties, traditional and religious leaders, heads of security services, representatives of Federal and State institutions, representatives of civil society organizations and victims’ groups, representatives of youth and women’s groups.
Speaking earlier, Benue state Governor samuel Ortom called on INEC to ensure that the 2019 elections is free, fair and credible to the satisfaction of all parties
He said once the process is transparent and election fair to all there will less acrimony.
“Problem is when government officials support irregularities and that will not be accepted in Benue neither will threats of using federal might to rig the elections in favour of one party work in the state.”
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He assured that Benue people will do their part to ensure free and fair elections and challenged security agencies in the state to live up to the responsibilities. “Everyone must obey the laws of the land and no one should be made a sacred cow”, he said.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC in Benue state, Dr. Nantewe Yilwatda said the commission requires 23,454 ad-hoc staff and 1125 number of vehicles to enable it conduct the 2019 very effectively in the state.
According to him, there are 2,480,131 tentative registered voters, 5102 voting points, 3688 polling unit in 276 wards of the 23 LGAs in the state and called for support to enable the commission perform optimally.
Yilwatda who spoke on “Organizing Free and Fair Elections in Benue State, Updates and Challenges”, recalled with pains that INEC lost a staff to fire incident and three ad-hoc staff to car and motorcycle accidents among other challenges in 2015.
He therefore stated that the commission is putting in measures to ensure zero deaths, zero accidents, zero ballot snatching among others.
