Worried about uncertainties over tomorrow’s off-season elections, especially in Imo State, traditional rulers and religious leaders in the South East have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a flawless election, using all technology and human capacity at its disposal.
The joint body particularly charged INEC to forestall any illegal tampering with the election results or any act that could question the integrity of the conduct of election and declaration of results.
The leaders said the relevant bodies and government at various levels playing their roles to ensure a free, fair and transparent election would minimise post-election disputes and enable the winner declared to enjoy the support of the electorate.
The leaders under the auspices of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops on Peace and Conflict Resolution made this call on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by the chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Obi Nnaemeka Achebe; Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia, Most Reverend Chibuzo Opoko; chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe LOC. Agubuzu and Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, the leaders expressed fears about an orderly, peaceful, harmonious, and unifying gubernatorial election in Imo. The joint council said apart from the INEC, security agencies, the federal and Imo State governments, the electorates also had to live up to their roles.
They urged security agencies to ensure a peaceful and free movement of people to exercise their civic duties and prevent troublemakers from disrupting elections or attacks on any section of the people based on ethnicity, religion or party affiliations.
The council charged security agencies to also devote particular attention to the already reported instances of insecurity, violence, kidnapping for ransom, shedding of innocent blood, and attacks on public buildings and uniformed officers.
The group also tasked traditional rulers in Imo State to work in concert with their town and community leadership to ensure a conducive environment for the elections in their domains.
The council urged all registered voters to come out enmasse to exercise their civic duty, urging them to vote in accordance to their conscience and not material gains.
The council also charged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community leaders to speak to those under them on the imperativeness of peaceful participation in Saturday‘s election.
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