General News
THE National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Gombe State, says it is engaging critical stakeholders towards ensuring peaceful conduct of the 2023 general election in the state.
The Director of NOA in the state, Adaline Patari, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Thursday.
Patari said it was imperative to engage all stakeholders since peaceful atmosphere before, during and after election had a way of impacting positively on the credibility of elections.
She stated that the engagements were being done to remind stakeholders of the essence of peace and the need to take the message down to the grassroots.
“If we want credible elections then our elections have to be peaceful; violence is a tool being used by enemies of democracy to perpetrate electoral malpractices like ballot snatching and others which sometimes lead to result cancelations.
“There is need for the people to support all efforts towards ensuring peaceful conduct of elections in their communities,” she said.
According to her, different stakeholders comprising religious, community, Civil Society Organisations, women and youths groups and others are being engaged.
She stated that the engagements would continue, to ensure that before the elections, more groups and communities had been reached with the message of peace and the need to eschew violence before, during and after elections.
The NOA official said election offered voters the opportunity to make their choices and elect those they feel could protect their interests while in office, hence “we must not allow violence to disrupt that opportunity.”
Patari appealed to parents not to allow their children to be used by desperate politicians while cautioning youths against accepting drugs from politicians.
“Any politician that can not produce their children to be part of any thuggery mission for election purposes, do not deserve your service.
“Youths please be careful and refuse to be used for violence; always remember that a peaceful Nigeria will benefit the youth more and guarantee a better future for us all,” she said.
She called on politicians to avoid statements that may create chaos and violence, adding that politicians only needed to “sell their manifestoes and not hate speech or abusive statements.” (NAN)
Tags: National Orientation Agency (NOA)
