Ekweremadu condemns election violence in Kogi, Bayelsa

The Senator representing Enugu South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Ike Ekweremadu has condemned the violence and loss of lives witnessed during the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

The former deputy senate president said in a statement on Sunday that the reports of loss of lives in the build-up to the Kogi and Bayelsa States and during the actual elections at the weekend are a sad one.

“One of our dreams when we carried out the extensive electoral reforms in the 6th and subsequent Assemblies was a Nigeria where we would not lose a single soul to electoral violence.

Consequently, the Constitution Review Committee and electoral reforms, which I had the privilege to co-pilot, ensured, among many other key reforms, that INEC got administrative and financial independence.

“We also tried to cut down the impunity in the emergence and substitution of candidates by political parties,” he said.

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He said the work on the Electoral Act in the last (8th) National Assembly would have helped Nigeria to overcome most of the remaining electoral challenges if signed into law.

According to him: “It would have rendered ballot box snatching useless and unattractive by mainstreaming the Smart Card Reader in our electoral processes.

“Video inspection of electoral materials, electronic voter accreditation, electronic transmission of voter accreditation, electronic voting, etc. would have made our electoral system better.

“My heart goes out to victims of these orgies of violence and their loved ones. I also believe that the greatest respect we could pay to them is to ensure that we pass these amendments once again, in the current National Assembly.

“I particularly plead with the youth to stay away from electoral or other forms of violence. Do not allow anybody to use you as cannon fodders, more so, when he/she is not ready to line up members of his/her family to lead the charge. Your lives are important to your loved ones, your family, and your nation.

“I wish the injured quick recovery and I pray God to grant the souls of those who lost their lives eternal repose”.