2019: Shun violence before, during and after elections - CAN urges Nigerians, politicians
- The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on Nigerians to shun violence before, during and after the 2019 general elections
- The association also calls on the INEC to be neutral during the elections
- According to CAN, without a free, fair and credible elections which will bring credible leadership, the dry bones of Nigeria will not rise again
As Nigerians prepare for the 2019 general elections, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has advised them to shun violence before, during and after the forthcoming elections.
This was contained in a new year message on Monday, December 31, which was signed by Bayo Oladeji, the media assistant to CAN president, Samson Ayokunle, Premium Times reports.
Legit.ng gathers that the association, which warned politicians and security agencies to avoid acts capable of affecting the peace of the nation, also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to avoid taking sides in the 2019 general elections.
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The statement read: “The year 2019 is a crucial year to all Nigerians because it is a year of general elections. I therefore urge all Nigerians to make sure that they abide in peace without being involved in violence throughout the year, especially before, during and after the election.
“We should all distant ourselves from electoral manipulation in whatever form. I urge politicians not to be too desperate to be voted into power and get themselves involved in using thugs to cause chaos or commit electoral fraud. Vote buying is evil, all stakeholders should shun it.
“All the law enforcement agencies, especially the Police and the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps deployed to maintain peace should not compromise their neutrality by working for desperate politicians.
“The military should not be dragged into the electoral process but instead, they should be allowed to face their primary responsibilities. Voters should not be intimidated and election observers should not be harassed like we witnessed in recent polls.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and their personnel should maintain neutrality in their conducts before and throughout the period of the election. Let us remember that without a free, fair and credible election which will bring credible leadership, the dry bones of Nigeria will not rise again.”
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mutiu Agboke, said politicians were making efforts to buy permanent voters' cards ahead of the 2019 election.
Agboke, who serves as the resident electoral commissioner in Oyo state, made the disclosure in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Wednesday, December 26, when addressing reporters on the preparations of the INEC for the forthcoming elections.
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He said he got to know about the plans of the politicians through a security report, but stopped short of giving details of the politicians allegedly involved.
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Source: Legit.ng
