By Brave Dickson
Following the heightened tension ahead of the September 19 Edo State governorship election, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has warned political actors not to threaten the electorates.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had threatened also to suspend the Edo governorship election process if the actions of political actors lead to a breakdown of law and order.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mr Festus Okoye who made this known also said the commission had observed with deep concern, the escalating levels of violent actions and incendiary statements by political parties, candidates and their supporters, in the run-up to the election.
Speaking with our correspondent, the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Hon Ken Robinson said: “As the leadership organization of the Niger Delta Region, particularly in the South-south Geo-political Zone, we are interested in the safety and security of our people.
“Therefore, we don’t want any political actor to threaten the lives of our people in Edo State before, during and after the state September 19 governorship election.
“In this context, we will continue to engage with our people in Edo State to ensure that in exercising their fundamental rights of speech freedom, they refrain from speeches capable of threatening the lives and properties of our people.”
On his part, another concerned stakeholder and peace building expert, Mr Borve Paago-Imabel used the medium to urge Journalists to report objectively in order not to heat up the polity.
He said, “objective reportage will enable the people to understand the trend of events before, during and after election.
“So, rather than being a part of drivers of conflict in an electioneering process, Journalists should actually be the hub for peace elections through the kind of information they disseminate.”
