In anticipation of the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) is calling upon President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to prevent any form of violence during the electoral process.
The Executive Director of the CLO, Comrade Steve Aluko, expressed deep concern over the alarming level of violence in Kogi State leading up to the election.
Aluko emphasized the importance of taking proactive measures to prevent a recurrence of the killings and destruction of properties that marred the 2019 election in Kogi.
Furthermore, Aluko stressed the need for proper monitoring of Bayelsa and Imo states to ensure a peaceful election, citing recent reports from both states that are cause for alarm.
“We appreciate President Bola Tinubu, the military, and the police for pledging to ensure a violence-free election in Kogi and the other states,” Aluko stated. “However, it is important to note that promises alone have not been enough in the past. We need tangible actions to back up these words.”
Aluko went on to remind those in positions of power of the violence that accompanied the re-election of Governor Yahaya Bello in Kogi in 2019, where numerous lives were lost and properties destroyed.
“President Tinubu must take decisive measures, including deploying adequate security personnel, ensuring proper supervision, and implementing appropriate sanctions for electoral malpractice committed by political parties, candidates, and security agencies before, during, and after the election,” Aluko asserted.
“Instead of waiting until after the fact to express remorse or condemn political violence, the time for action is now,” he added.
Aluko urged the presidency to move beyond mere rhetoric and establish mechanisms that would guarantee electoral justice, ultimately leading to a credible, free, fair, and violence-free election in Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole.
He emphasized that the primary responsibility of the President, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to demonstrate to the world that Nigeria can rise above electoral malpractice and showcase a positive narrative of fairness and justice.
