The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has urged all candidates and political parties in Nigeria, especially in the Southeast and South-South geological zones, to embrace peace and work toward the credible outcome of the country’s 2023 general elections as it enters the final stages of campaigns and preparations.
This appeal was made on Wednesday in Owerri at the ongoing mediation and dialogue training for political actors in the Southeast and South-South Zones, in collaboration with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, and other stakeholders. It was made by Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, Head of Mediation and Coordination of Regional Political Affairs, MCRA, ECOWAS Commission.
At the fourth and final training and interactive engagement in the series, Onwuka, who spoke on behalf of the President of the Commission, Amb. Omar Alieu Touray, and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fattah Musah, also tasked the political actors to renew their commitments to upholding the provisions of the signed Peace Accord and the Electoral Act and Guidelines, stressing that these are what would ensure peaceful and credible elections.
She clarified that this was a tactical assistance and intervention measure for peaceful general elections in Nigeria in 2023.
Onwuka further declared that the ECOWAS Commission was ready to continue working with the appropriate parties to ensure the prevention of election-related tensions and violence throughout the entire West African region, not only in Nigeria.
In order to achieve this, she stated that they are giving creating platforms and opportunities for such interactions top priority. She also mentioned supporting initiatives aimed at giving stakeholders the knowledge and abilities they need to manage election-related disputes through inclusive dialogue and mediation.
In a similar vein, Engr. Yabagi Sani, the National Chairman of IPAC, concurred with the ECOWAS Commission on the significance of Nigeria to West Africa and the entire world, noting that all Africans and the rest of the world look to Nigeria to conduct a peaceful, free, fair, transparent, and credible election.
Sani asserts that by providing training in communication and mediation aimed at ensuring peaceful elections in 2023, ECOWAS is being proactive and conscious of its obligations.
He said, “So like I said, this training is very timely and appropriate to prepare various political parties and key players in the exercise of the 2023 elections on the need to always go the way of peace through dialogue. This is because once we can communicate, you find out that problems are largely solved.”
He assured that the participants who are mostly political actors would internalize the essence of the training and work towards free, fair, and credible polls in the country.
On his part, the Head of the Department, of Election and Party Monitoring, EPM, Mr. Victor O. Nwokeabia, who represented the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Imo state, Prof. Sylvia Uchenna Agu, described the program as fundamentally crucial to the in-coming election, noting that no meaningful election could take place in an environment prone to violence.
“I believe that after this event, you will all go home, and inform your candidates and members of your political parties on the importance of alternative dispute resolution,” he stated.
Nwokeabia assured that INEC was ready to conduct a violent-free election, assuring that it would no longer be business as usual with BVAS.
He added that other electronic devices procured by INEC for free and fair elections would be used to give Nigerians the best election this year.
Also speaking, the commissioner of police in Imo State, CP Mohammed Barde who spoke through CSP Mike Abattam assured that the security agencies would leave no stone unturned to contribute their quota for a credible election.
He however pleaded with the media for accurate, objective, and unbiased reportage of the election, avoidance of hate speeches by politicians, and the need to educate the people on their rights as established in the constitution.
According to him, “As we prepare for the polls, there must be information flow by the media during the pre-election, election itself, and post-election.”
The workshop featured lectures on Dialogue and Mediation processes for the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)– Nigeria by Professor Joy Onyesoh, Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, and Dr. Brown Odige as well as a goodwill message from Ambassador Musa Sani, Nuhu- -Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS through the Senior Councillor, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to ECOWAS; Mr. Makwe Samuel Victor. This brings to an end the series of the trainings aimed at peacefully 2023 polls having taken place in Lagos for the Southwest, Kano for the Northwest and parts of Northeast, and Jos for North Central and parts of Northeast.