By Samuel Ogude(Warri)
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Delta State, Rev. Dr. Monday Udoh Tom said, the body is fully set for the elections as all logistics have been put in place. Rev. Dr. Tom stated this in a day’s Stakeholders’ Security Summit Towards a Violence -Free 2023 Elections organized by Nigeria Police Delta State Command in collaboration with Transition Monitoring Group (TGM) Delta Chapter,Vote Not Fight(VNF) Delta State and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Delta State held on Tuesday in Uvwie Council Secretariat in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State .
Rev. Dr.Tom said, election is not a do-or- die affair, urging all Deltans to go about the elections peacefully. According to him, the collection of Permanent Voter’s Cards has ended and Deltans are ready for the elections based on the fact that, some of the challenges other states are having as regards burning down of INEC ‘offices and others, are not experienced in the state saying, where they envisage challenges, have been resolved.
He said: The collection of PVCs has ended and judging from the prevailing problems in other states, Delta is peaceful and are ready for the elections”.
Rev. Dr. Tom said Delta is one of the states that are doing very well as it is peaceful just as he said the collection of PVCs has been well co-ordinated. He said the organization has been training security agencies that would be on ground for the elections period on the roles they are supposed to play on the day of the elections. According to him, electoral offices are in contact with service providers such as boats, vehicles and others adding, in next one week, the body will train presiding officers and other personnel to see that all go well.
On his part, Pastor Comrade Edewor Egedegbe, the Co-ordinator, Delta State Transition Monitoring Group said, there is no election that is worth the blood of any citizen hence, they are saying everybody should align with the law of the land. He said the Electoral Act, 2022 has given the power to registered voters to cast their votes and not fight adding, nobody is expected to disrupt the elections process as there are penalties for contravening the law.
Pastor Egedegbe said, anybody who contravenes the law would face its wrath. He therefore appealed to Deltans to conduct themselves in such a way that gives room for smooth, free, and fair elections. According to him, Deltans have enjoyed relative peace over the years, saying, the peace should be sustained as no single Deltan should die in the elections.
He said:” The Electoral Act 2022 has given the power as citizens who are registered in the elections to go and cast their votes not to fight to disrupt the process, there are penalties for contravening the law, anybody who contravenes it, the law will catch up with him”.
Pastor Egedegbe said, he believes, this election will give room for better leadership in Delta State as it would allow the state to grow adding, Deltans need people that would grow the state.
On whether the challenges Nigerians are facing now as regards scarcity of fuel and naira re-designation which banks have refused to make available, he said, he is of the opinion that the Federal Government works round the clock to see that these challenges are sorted out before the elections. He therefore called on all Deltans to be peaceful in the elections.
He said:’ …It does, in spite of the disorder that is ongoing, we believe Nigerians should be lawful and I believe that the Federal Government is doing everything within its power to make sure there is circulation of cash and even there is enough fuel so, I trust that between now and election, all of those hiccups will normalize..”
On her part, the State Co-ordinator, Vote not Fight, Madam Onose Martha said, the people especially the youths should come out in en-masse to cast their vote, not for apathy saying, there is no need for fighting or rancor as Nigeria is not at war. She said after voting, if they intend to sit behind and monitor their vote, they can do so.
Not left out is the Commissioner of Police, Delta State CP Ari Muhammed Alli FCIA,psc+. He said one of the functions of security agencies is to mitigate violence in 2023 general elections. The Commissioner of Police who was represented by the DCP Johnson Ademola said Delta State has a wide spectrum of stakeholders saying politicians should avoid hate speeches as they are potential threat to Nigeria’s nascent democracy. He therefore charged all stakeholders to work together to have free and fair elections in Delta State in particular and Nigeria at large.
On his part, the Chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area, Hon. Ramson Onoyake who was represented by Chief Hon. Emmanuel Charles Eyela, said Uvwie used to be a problem place saying, the story has changed as it is now peaceful due to the handiwork of the council boss. He said the primary elections earlier conducted were peaceful in Uvwie saying, it is the same thing that he(Council Boss) intends to do in Uvwie LGA in this year’s general elections.
According to him, the challenges which politicians have in the state is the followership saying, there is no way the two Governorship candidates: Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Hon. Sheriff Oborevworhori would fight as they eat and drink together. He said, whereas the followers cause violence which in most cases lead to the destruction of lives and property. He said, there is need for orientation and reorientation of the followers of these politicians by the stakeholders to live together and work in a peaceful situation.
The workshop which featured lectures on the roles of stakeholders in peaceful elections, among others, saw the presentation of T-shirt of Vote not Fight by its State Co-ordinator Madam Onose Martha amidst cheers.