Ahead of the Saturday governorship election in Edo State, the former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to be professional and neutral in discharging their responsibilities.
The former President made the call in a statement on his X handle on Friday.
He said, “In the interest of peace and the integrity of our electoral process, I urge the electoral management body and security agencies to be professional and neutral in discharging their responsibilities.
“The Edo election scheduled for this weekend places a moral burden on state agencies especially the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rise to their constitutional responsibilities as independent arbiters in our democratic process.
“Security agencies must conduct themselves in optimal neutrality and desist from actions that could alter the setting for a level-playing field and compromise the credibility of the electoral process. On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must live up to expectations as an unbiased umpire and inspire confidence in all actors through a transparent voting process.”
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He also called on political actors and stakeholders to prioritise peace and security of the nation and pursue their interests within the remit of the law while also refraining from any activities that could destroy peace of the state.
“Politicians must pursue their interests within the confines of the law and refrain from activities that could undermine the peace and stability of the state. It is encouraging that civil rule has endured in the Fourth Republic for 25 years but we should remind our people that democracy loses its value when citizens cannot exercise their political choices in a free and fair atmosphere.”
Jonathan stated that loss of confidence in an electoral process encouraged political disputes, social unrest, voter apathy and other consequences that weaken democratic consolidation, noting that for democracy to endure, leadership recruitment process must be free from all forms of manipulation.
“State institutions have the obligation to guarantee peaceful, credible and transparent elections. That way, citizens will be able to elect leaders of their choice who they will entrust with the legitimacy to deliver good governance, peace and prosperity,” he added.
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