A non-governmental organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa(CAPPA) has called on the federal government to tackle the challenges posed by fuel, naira scarcity and electoral violence to give room for free and fair elections.
The executive director of CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, who released a report at a round table event in Lagos, urged the government to act swiftly and resolve the issues.
Oluwafemi at a media presentation of the report tagged “General Elections- Challenges and Threats to Consolidating Democracy listed the challenges to include lingering fuel scarcity and cash crunch, logistics and administrative hiccups for the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), the spread of misinformation and fake news, vote buying, fraud, voter suppression, and electoral violence before and on Election Day.
He said the challenges posed a serious threat to the forthcoming poll and Nigeria’s democracy.
Oluwafemi said stakeholders and the media must take note of the emerging developments, particularly the challenges facing the nation’s democracy and the opportunities that exist to work together for a fair and credible election.
According to him, CAPPA’s report entails interrogating various concerns which might impede the free and fair process of electioneering amidst the existing challenges .
The group charged the government to nip in the bud the security challenges the nation is faced with by deploying adequate security personnel to conduct a smooth electioneering process. While the CBN and stakeholders in the petroleum sector resolve the cash and fuel conundrum the citizens are going through.
