EKITI 2014: NUJ, NBA charge INEC, political parties, others to play by electoral rules

A peace initiative set up by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to mediate among political parties participating in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Ekiti Chapter, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stand by its words that the poll will be free, fair and credible in the overall interest of all. At a press conference jointly addressed by the leadership of the two unions in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, they appealed to INEC, police, political parties and the electorate to play by the rules for sustainable peace during and after the election. While speaking, the NBA chairman, Ado Ekiti branch, Joseph Adewumi, said the two associations’ mediating team were able to reach out to all critical stakeholders during the peace initiative and offered advice on the need to eschew unnecessary electoral fraud that could mar the poll. The NUJ chairman, Mr Laolu Omosilade, said part of the targets of the initiative, was to ensure that it organised a debate for the governorship candidates, adding that the non-actualisation of the plan, has nothing to do with the integrity of the unions. Adewumi, who described Ekiti governorship poll as veritable opportunity for the INEC and police to prove that they are reliable unbiased umpires in electioneering process, added that their conducts in the election would also serve as impetus to Nigerian citizens to cast their votes during the 2015 elections. He said, “We are impressing it on all these stakeholders to walk their talks. When our team visited them, they vowed to maintain their integrity and we expect this to come to play in this election. “It is not enough to make promises to be fair and just in their conduct to the election, it is equally very important that their words should be their bonds. “Their loyalty should be to the provisions of Electoral Act and that of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , 1999. “The politicians and their political parties must know that there is always another day. They should know that only one person would occupy the governorship seat and others would have to wait for another time,” Adewumi advised.