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By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU-ENUGU State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, has urged all contestants and political leaders in the forthcoming local government election in the state to shun fraud and violence.
The call was made at a 1-day workshop organised by ENSIEC in partnership with PAT and BEGOS consult, an NGO at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu with the theme: Identifying and eliminating all the obstacles to free and fair local government election.
Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Vincent Onodugu, who expressed regret over the do or die attitude displayed by aspirants and party chieftains during elections, advised that politics should not be played with bitterness.
Prof. Onodugu, encouraged members of the public, irrespective of their political view to actively participate in the political process and shun being apathetic.
He called on aspirants and voters to join hands to elect the deserved leaders that would change their living standards at the grassroots level.
Onodugu advised ENSIEC to get prepared for LG elections by training Ad-hoc officers, releasing of election timetable on time, the invitation of media and security men during the release of timetable and procedure, distribution of election materials on time among others.
“we are interested in free and fair elections in the state because it gives impetus to democracy and legitimacy to the leadership arising from it. It makes election credible and increases the possibility of high profile leader to emerge. Officeholders and the incumbent will sit up and be accountable knowing that people will react to their performance during voting.
“The greatest motivation for electoral fraud and violence in Nigeria is that there is too much stake in political offices and less accountability leading to a do or die attitude by aspirants.”
Earlier in the event, Barrister Christopher Nweze in his lecture titled: Democracy, regretted that Nigerian democracy have been impeded by the imposition of frightening financial deposit on intending candidate, building party manifesto on persons rather than on national issues, the tradition of candidates being selected and imposed by influential party chieftains.
He urged all contestants who are already vested with the mandate to carry the mantle of local government, state and nation to bear in mind that without democracy Nigeria would not grow.
While interacting with journalists after the workshop, a Vice Chairman aspirant in Nsukka Local government area under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Cosmo Agbo, commended ENSIEC and PAT & BEGOS consult for organising the workshop noting that it would go a long way in ensuring that a free and fair election would be organised for all contestants in the election.
