Towards ensuring a violent free election in Edo State, Kimpact Developmnt Initiative, KDI has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the National Orientation Agency, NOA and Civil Society Organizations, CSO to lead a massive campaign to promote violence-free election in the State.
This is contained in the Nigeria Electoral Violence Report, NEVR, a project led by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) with support from the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) which is aimed at increasing awareness of and accountability for electoral violence through Civil Society Organization (CSO) conflict monitoring, public education and advocacy in Nigeria.
In the published report which issued by KDI, CSOs were charged to inculcate peace messaging in their electoral support and interventions to ensure widespread of information which would help to reduce electoral violence.
The statement reads that,” Political parties and their candidates need to join their efforts with that of other major stakeholders to curb incidences of electoral violence.
“The level of intimidation between the political class in the state is on the increase, political parties and their candidates should desist from harassing one another and also the citizens.
“In a time like this, staunch commitment to peace is important. Political parties and their candidates should ensure their followers are not used as instrument to perpetrate violence henceforth, and bear in mind that there is no blood of any Nigerian that is worth their political ambitions.
“The political class should submit themselves to obeying the guidelines of electoral process as this will aid good and peaceful conduct in elections.”
The group also called on security agencies to ensure objective analysis of the early warning signal so as to ensure effective preparation and deployment of personnel to mitigate violence ahead of the elections.