By Michael Oche
Ahead of Saturdays, Ondo State governorship election, election observer group, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has issued a strong call to the people of the State, urging them to resist violence and the influence of vote-buying.
Speaking at a stakeholder’s roundtable in Akure, Faith Nwadishi, the Executive Director of CTA, emphasized the importance of a peaceful, transparent, and credible election process that reflects the true will of the people.
In her address, Nwadishi stressed that a fair election is crucial for sustaining democracy and good governance in Ondo State.
“Now is the moment for the people of Ondo to exercise their right to vote with integrity and responsibility,” she said. “Votes should count, and your involvement is essential to creating the Ondo State you want.”
CTA said it will deploy 70 trained observers across all 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs). This, according to Nwadishi, underscores the CTA’s commitment to safeguarding a free, fair, and peaceful election.
The Centre also reminded young voters to reject any attempts by political actors to influence their votes through monetary or material incentives, calling on them to be “CEOs hiring a governor” rather than “violence mongers or vote sellers.”
CTA highlighted the risks associated with vote-buying, noting that it undermines democratic values and ultimately affects development and governance.
Nwadishi further acknowledged the roles of traditional and religious leaders, transport unions, and the media in maintaining peace and ensuring accurate information flows during the election period. She called on these groups to uphold their responsibilities, avoid the spread of misinformation, and encourage a culture of tolerance and mutual respect.
She urged the aspirants to take the peace accord that was signed some days ago seriously, noting that nothing short of a peaceful election and good conduct of all supporters across parties is expected.
To security agencies, she said, “In the same manner, we recognize the important roles that the security agencies play during elections. We are aware of the challenges that you face during this critical period. We call on the Nigeria police, the lead agency on election security with a deployment of 22,239 officers for the election to be steadfast and discharge its constitutional duties firmly and professionally.
“Likewise other sister agencies that are providing support including the military are urged to carry out your duties without infringing on the rights of the citizens be rest assured of the support of CTA as we will continue to give credible and unbiased reports. Leadership of the security agencies should make their personnel comfortable enough so that they can discharge their duties forthrightly.
“We Implore INEC to ensure that all trained ad hoc staff and materials are deployed on time for early commencement of the polls, as logistics have been the bane of conduct of successful election. INEC must continue to serve as an impartial umpire”, he added.
