By Emeka Nwokocha
WARRI/Nigeria: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the umbrella of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) Delta State, in partnership with international organisations – USAID, and Pallodium, has organized a One-Day sensitization-cum-awareness rally to encourage the Nigerian voters to come out en masse and exercise their franchise in the forthcoming governorship and house of assembly elections holding on March 18, 2023. The theme of the rally was, “Say No To Violence, Say No To Intimidation, Election No Be War, Let Your Vote Count.”
The placard carrying members of the group, commenced the rally from DSC roundabout and marched to PTI junction, Effurun, Uvwie local government area of Delta State. The placards bore eye-catching inscriptions such as, “Electoral Malpractices – vote buying and vote selling is an offence,” Your Vote is Your Right,” Perform Your Civic Responsibility with Passion,” “Your Vote is Your Power,” “Follow The Vote and Let The Vote Count,” “Come Out and Perform Your Civic Responsibility.”
Speaking to journalists, the coordinator of the group, Comrade (Pastor) Edewor Egedegbe said that the rally was part of the group’s activities aimed at inspiring the electorates to participate fully in the forthcoming governorship and house of assembly elections. Continuing, he charged the youths to shun all acts of violence during and after the election, even as he advised Nigerians not to lose hope in the electoral umpire, stating that the hitches and glitches that occurred in the Presidential and National Assembly elections should not erode the people’s confidence in INEC.
Pastor Egedegbe who doubles as the Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI), passionately called on INEC to ensure issues such as logistic and technical challenges do not recur in the March 18 elections, advising that all hands must be on deck to ensure the forthcoming election is hitch-free. He also called on the security agencies to beef up security during and after the election, even as he cautioned politicians to abide by the laid down rules that guide the conduct of the election. He added that through collective effort and when everybody does the right thing, the violence will completely be abated during the.
Also speaking, the Delta State PRO of Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade Kelvin Ejumudo, tasked the security agencies on due diligence and professionalism in carrying out their duties of providing security during the election. He called on the youths and the entire electorates to replicate the courage and determination they exhibited during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, stating that the electoral process avails them an opportunity to elect the right calibre of person into political offices.
In the same vein, the Executive Directors of Neferok Development Initiative, Ms Ayo Okotie, and Mrs. Joy Tobele, strongly called on all stakeholders to join hands to make the election peaceful, charging the public to promote peace by conducting themselves in orderly manner during the election, adding that Nigerians look toward a peaceful election.
