An umbrella body of traditional and religious leaders in the Southeast has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that tomorrow’s governorship election in Imo State is free and fair.
it delivers a flawless election, effectively using all technology and human capacity at its disposal.
The group said INEC should be able to deliver a flawless election, with the technology and human capacity at its disposal. It particularly charged that the commission to forestall any act that could question the integrity of the contest, such as tampering with the results.
This, it added, would minimise post-election disputes and enable the winner declared to gain the immediate support of the electorate.
The body, under the auspices of the Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops on Peace and Conflict Resolution, made the call in a statement by the following: the chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Obi Nnaemeka Achebe; Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia, Most Reverend Chibuzo Opoko; the chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe L.O.C. Agubuzu and the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke.
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Expressing its fears about an orderly, peaceful, harmonious, and unifying gubernatorial election in Imo, the joint council said apart from the INEC, security agencies, and the federal and Imo State governments, the electorates also had to live up to their roles.
It urged security agencies to ensure a peaceful and free movement of people out 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 urged 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.