INEC warns against violent campaigns

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu has warned political parties to desist from the use of violence during campaigns.

He gave this charge at the training of master trainers on technologies for the 2023 general election,  describing as worrisome the reports of clashes and the denial of access to public facilities by parties and their supporters during the campaigns in some states.

“These are not only violations of the Electoral Act 2022 but also negate the voluntary commitment by all political parties and candidates to the letter and spirit of the peace accord signed about three weeks ago under the auspices of the national peace committee (NPC).

“Parties, candidates and their supporters should not by acts of commission or omission further complicate the prevailing security situation in the country. A peaceful electioneering campaign is critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible elections.

“The commission will continue to monitor the situation closely and will convene a meeting with leaders of political parties next week to discuss, among other issues, the imperative of peaceful campaigns and equal access to public facilities. In the same vein, the  commission will also meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICCES) next week.”

The chairman also reiterated that the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and result viewing (IReV) have increased transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

In related vein, Yakubu said the commission will continue to promote the inclusivity of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in electoral processes.

He said this on Wednesday at a “campaign to promote the mainstreaming of PWDs in the electoral process,” organised by the Albino Foundation in Abuja.