Political parties, candidates, and their supporters were urged by Yakubu to view the election as a fight rather than a battle.
Political parties and their followers have been advised to refrain from violence as the March 18 governorship and house of assembly elections get closer.
The request was made on Tuesday during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security by the National Security Advisor, Major General Babagana Moguno, and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Yakubu specifically urged political parties, candidates, and their supporters to view the election as a competition rather than a conflict.
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He requests that they “avoid acts of violence that might taint the elections or jeopardise the safety of our staff, observers, the media, and service providers.”
Also, there will be additional candidates and collation centres to safeguard. Also, they are fiercely contested local elections. It is crucial that parties and candidates communicate with their agents and supporters in order for them to perceive the elections as a competition rather than a conflict, he continued.
He thanked the security agencies for their professionalism and the largely peaceful way in which the presidential election was conducted, but added that INEC state offices had given the police information about the governorship and state assembly elections, including the locations of polling places and collation centres.
Also, there will be more collation centres to safeguard as well as more candidates participating. Also, they are fiercely contested local elections. It is crucial that parties and candidates communicate with their agents and supporters in order to help them perceive the elections as a competition rather than a conflict.
Only 28 States will have governorship elections, as opposed to all 50 states participating in the countrywide presidential and national polls on February 25.
Because elections are held outside of the regular election calendar, eight states — Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun — are excluded.
INEC would work with security agencies to guarantee that the State elections will include 1,021 constituencies in order to ensure a smooth electoral process.
