Politicians are heating up the polity by not playing by the rules, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said yesterday.
Yakubu said such actions may poison the environment and cause elections to be held under volatile and high-risk political and social contexts.
The INEC chairman spoke through a National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, at a one-day Inter-generational Peace Conference, with the theme: “Vote, not fight: Election no be war’, organised by the ‘Vote, Not Fight Partners’.
Yakubu noted that a nation’s sovereignty in any democracy lies with the people who express themselves through elections, saying: “They confer legitimacy on those they wish to govern them by giving them their votes voluntarily.”
He added: “This simply means that the legitimacy of any government lies in the credibility of the electoral process which brought them to power. If the process by which a government ascends to power is flawed or blemished, the legitimacy of that government is questionable.
“It is in recognition of this fact that INEC places premium on ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair, credible, inclusive, transparent and verifiable.
Read Also: ACF to INEC: sanction politicians for hate speech
“Unfortunately, the sad political reality facing our country today is that the political actors seem not prepared to play the political game according to the rules they set for themselves on the one hand, and those set by INEC and Electoral Legal Framework on the other.
“Only last week, two INEC offices were attacked in Osun and Ogun states. Within the same week, there were allegations of attacks and disruptions of political party activities across the country by all the parties. Obviously, this will poison the electoral environment and cause elections to be held under volatile and high-risk political and social contexts.
“Consequently, providing the enabling peaceful environment where an electorate will exercise his/her right to vote or to stand for election voluntarily will be a major challenge for INEC and other relevant stakeholders involved in elections.
“This particularly underscores the significance of today’s engagement for which the INEC is very grateful of the timely and well thought out initiative by Vote, Not Fight group, comprising 2Baba Foundation (2BABA), Jesz Development Initiative (JDI), and Child Protection and Pear Learning Initiative (CPPLL).
Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed expressed worry about the insecurity in the country, particularly in the North, saying many Northerners may not be able to vote during the elections.
He noted that the 2023 elections are vital and will define the country’s future, adding that ‘it is time to speak to the fact that the elections is not a joke, it is not a game, it is not a tie to break heads and it is not a time to make a little bit of money’.
The Vote, Not Fight Ambassador and popular musician, Innocent Idibia, also known as 2Face Idibia, said Nigerians must ensure that the next year’s elections are peaceful, free, fair and credible.
He pledged to continue to remain non-partisan in his political engagement, but continue to hold every political office holder accountable for their policies and actions, whether young or old.