2023: Gombe NOA, CSOs, Security Agencies collaborate to host town hall on peaceful elections
National Orientation Agency in collaboration with civil society organisations, Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung and the security agencies have organised a town hall meeting in Gombe on voter education, security and voter apathy in Gombe State.
Periscope Nigeria reports that youth groups, traditional and religious leaders played active roles in proferring the best way to ensure smooth exercise.
Speaking during an interview with journalists the State Coordinator, Adaline Patari urged for peaceful co-existence ahead of the electioneering process in the state.
According to her, politicians should desist from fake news, hate speech, adding that they should not castigate opponents as it may cause crisis.
Patari said, “2023 is approaching, we are being proactive, we are starting early. We want the youths to conduct themselves peacefully, for them not to allow themselves to be used, we want the politicians to engage in issue-based campaign.
“They should not engage in hate speech or fake news, they should just state what they can do and not castigate opponents which can cause problem.”
Also speaking, Chairman of Association of Non Governmental Organisations, Ibrahim Yusuf, said the essence of the town hall was to engage relevant stakeholders in the state towards a hitch-free 2023 elections.
Yusuf who is also a Senatorial aspirant under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for Gombe North added, “You know in Nigeria instead of seeing elections as a process we see it as an event. So, we are expected to discuss way forward towards peaceful 2023 elections.”
On his part, Independent National Electoral Commission, Head of Department Voter Education and Publicity, Nuhu Ibrahim, said election should be conducted peacefully without rancor, stressing that citizens have roles to play in ensuring that happens.
He said “It is the responsibility of every Nigerian to ensure peaceful conduct of the 2023 elections. In a way the members of this group are telling the people to contribute their quota to the smooth conduct of the polls by sensitising youths against snatching ballot boxes, tampering with election materials.”
