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The Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness has expressed serious concerns about the upcoming Edo State governorship election, which is scheduled for September 21, 2024.
At a press conference in Uyo, the organisation’s Director-General, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, underscored the need for transparency and impartiality from all election stakeholders.
Dr Gabriel emphasised that “election is not an event; it is a process,” highlighting the critical role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in ensuring a fair electoral environment.
He called on INEC to be committed to transparency and to promptly distribute Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to all eligible voters.
Message for security agencies
The civil society group also urged law enforcement agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to avoid harassing citizens in election activities.
“Their role should be to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the electoral process, without fear or favour,” Dr Gabriel stated.
He also expressed concern about the judiciary’s role, condemning “flagrant abuse of court processes” and urging the judiciary to maintain independence and resist manipulation by desperate politicians.
He warned that attempts to use security agencies to skew election results are “unacceptable” and called for strict investigations and prosecutions of such practices.
Criticism against vote-buying, and electoral glitch
The Centre also condemned voter inducement and the recruitment of youths for electoral violence.
Dr Gabriel stressed that any election rigging or violence would be met with swift action and international scrutiny.
To ensure a smooth election, Dr Gabriel appealed to network service providers like MTN, Glo Mobile, and Airtel to maintain uninterrupted service to support the BVAS technology used for voter authentication.
“It is only through the collective adherence to these principles that we can ensure a free, fair, and credible governorship election in Edo State,” he concluded.