The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), yesterday joined forces with the National Peace Committee to hold a parley with election stakeholders in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
They urged politicians to promote peaceful elections.
Addressing stakeholders, including politicians, monarchs, religious leaders and youths, the UNOWAS Coordinator in Nigeria, Mathias Schmale, said the UN was aware of the importance of positive election signal coming out of Nigeria to the rest of the world.
He advised the stakeholders, including police and other security agencies, to avoid activities and pronouncements that could promote violence in the elections slated for February 25 and March 11.
He said violence undermined credibility of elections, as it prevented people, particularly women, from participating in the exercise.
Schmale lamented that only a few women were on the ballot this time, hoping that the system would encourage more women to emerge as candidates in the next general election that would hold in 2027.
The UN chief said the world was watching, enjoining Nigerians to allow peaceful elections, in order that the country might serve as a good example to other countries, particularly neighbouring West African nations, which had experienced military incursions in recent times.
Highlighting how the agency was supporting Nigeria in achieving credible and peaceful elections, Schmale said: “We are doing two things as UN – we provide technical support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure progress is made on how to prepare for and manage elections. We have seen some progress made so far and we shall continue to improve the process.
“Secondly, we are offering the office of the UN Secretary General to build relationship with stakeholders so that we can be available to solve problems, in case it occurs on election day or after the election.”
The Chairman, Oyo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Apostle Joshua Akinyemiju, who also chairs the state’s peace committee, described the gathering as one of the ways to ensure peace reigned in the state before, during and after the elections.
He said: “We want to maintain the reputation of the state as a peaceful state. This is why we are collaborating with the National Peace Committee and the United Nations to ensure peace gets to the grassroots in the state.
“Our message to politicians is that peace should be maintained, our parents should not allow their children to be used for thuggery in this election. That was why stakeholders were brought together so that they could spread the message.”