Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has reaffirmed his dedication to ensuring a peaceful electoral process as the governorship election on November 11 draws near.
During a pre-election workshop held in Owerri on Friday, organized by the state government in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the governor, represented by his Deputy, Prof.
Placid Njoku, urged all stakeholders involved in the election to actively contribute to a harmonious and violence-free poll. He emphasized the importance of every vote being accurately counted.
Governor Uzodimma advised politicians against approaching the election with a “do-or-die” mentality, but instead urged them to uphold the principles of the rule of law.
By doing so, he stressed, the true voice of the people will be reflected in the ballot and the electoral process will be conducted fairly and democratically.
“ Politicians using youths to destroy the system should not be allowed to govern.
“ Votes must count and I urge security agencies to go after anyone who attempts to jeopardise the process,“ he said.
Mrs Gloria Akobundu, representing AUDA-NEPAD, emphasized that the goal of promoting democracy and good governance, which is one of the five pillars of the African Union (AU), cannot be achieved in the presence of election-related violence.
She urged the media and Civil Society Organizations to actively advocate for a violence-free election, emphasizing the need to amplify the message of “No Violence.” Mrs Akobundu called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful and successful election.
As reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a notable activity during the workshop was a public awareness march conducted by participants to educate the state’s residents about the benefits of peaceful elections.
