The founder of a non-governmental organisation, Peace for Free Initiative (PFI), Chris Oge Kalu, has called on youths to show collective commitment to unconditional peace in Nigeria and beyond, now that the 2023 elections are over.
According to him, election is an important part of democracy, which in itself is a process involving human and technological elements and is not absolutely free from errors.
Kalu stated this in Jos on the occasion of the “Peace for Free” lecture series for over 1,000 youths from different political and religious groups with the theme: “Sustainable Peace Beyond Election.”
He explained that like all processes, democracy needs to be allowed to grow and develop to maturity for most of the population to enjoy the dividends, adding that there is no doubt that this year’s elections, so far, have generated a lot of public attention, particularly from Nigerian youths.
The founder explained that Nigerian youths are remarkably increasing their political participation in the collective struggle for good governance unlike other times in the past as elections provide the opportunity for people to elect their preferred leaders in a fair, peaceful and credible process.
“Recent condemnations and uncertainties in our polity, if not contained, might lead to unfortunate disruptions and truncation of our democratic process. It is therefore our duty as law-abiding and progressive citizens to remain faithful and committed to the democratic process as it develops so that the gains of democracy can be realized,” he stated.
In a keynote address, Prof Anthony Igyuve of the Department of Mass Communication, Nasarawa State University Keffi, said now that the elections had come and gone, it is time to allow those elected to deliver the promises made during campaigns.
He stressed that this cannot be achieved without a peaceful atmosphere and urged the youths to embrace peace.
He noted that the various triggers that breed conflict in communities were raised by the participants themselves, stressing that they identified injustice and social inequality in the society as the bane for discontent in the society.
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