Osun 2022: NSCDC holds summit on violence-free election
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Command in Osun, on Tuesday held stakeholders’ summit on violence free election ahead of July 16, governorship election in the state.
Themed, “Violence Free Election in Osun State, Our Collective Responsibilities,” the summit was organised by the Peace and Conflict Management Unit of the agency.
The State Coordinator of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Abiodun Oluropo, in his presentation, said for the election to be violence free, all political gladiators as well as the general public must play politics according to Electoral laws and the constitution.
Oluropo said that political parties must also educate their followers to shun inflammatory utterances during the campaign, while security agents must also uphold the tenets of their duties.
He said that NOA, saddled with sensitising and orientating the citizenry on their civic responsibilities had doubled its efforts in discharging its mandate towards free and credible election.
Oluropo also appealed to the citizenry to reject any form of inducement, be it in cash, from politicians during the election
He also appealed to political stakeholders to shun rigging, fake news, cheating, money inducement, double standards, among others, in order not to trigger election violence.
Earlier in his remarks, the NSCDC Commandant, Emmanuel Ocheja, appealed to stakeholders to ensure free, fair and credible election in the state.
The Commandant, who said that the security agencies would be all out during the election to maintain peace, said that anyone caught perpetrating violence would be dealt with in line with the law.
He also appealed to parents and guardians to warn their children from being used as thugs during the election.
Ocheja said the summit was put in place to educate political stakeholders on the need to maintain peace during the election.
Also speaking, the NSCDC Zonal Commander, Fasul Adeyinka, said that credible and fair election was possible in the state, if all political gladiators could play by the rules of the game.
Adeyinka also appealed to the youths to shun thuggery and not to allow themselves to be used as element of destruction before, during and after the election.
He assured that the agency would protect electorate during the election.
Also, the head of the Conflict Management Unit of the agency, Abere Oluwafemi, said the summit was put in place to ensure a violence free election in the state.
Oluwafemi urged political stakeholders to eschew violence, embrace peace and allow Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to do its job.
The State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Shokpeka, appealed to security agencies as well as politicians to protect corps members that would be participating in the election.
Shokpeka said the protection of the corps members is paramount to the management of NYSC.
