Leading the National Peace Committee, which was previously headed by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, denounced on Thursday various acts of violence, intimidation, and vote-buying that transpired during the off-cycle governorship elections that were held last Saturday in the states of Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa.
The Peace Committee released a statement on Thursday stating, “We are aware of the glitches recorded during the elections.” Regretfully, we have observed that some of the outdated practices persist and that common people still work with dishonest sections of society to obstruct our electoral processes.
Concerning aspects of the culture that still exist are vote-buying, intimidation, and voter apathy. As we are ultimately the victims of our elections, a democratic society can only flourish if we take an active role in improving the electoral process. If we conspire with corrupt merchants, the corruption of the process will result in the rise of corrupt leaders.
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Nevertheless, the organization expressed its gratitude to “all essential stakeholders who worked nonstop to ensure that the elections are free, fair, and credible.”
“Our appreciation goes to the INEC staff, security agencies, media, civil society organizations, traditional rulers, political party leaders, non-governmental organizations, and others who ensured the success of the elections in the three states,” it stated.