2023: KDI Harps On Peaceful Elections, Trains 276 Security Monitors In 6 States

By Abdulah Gbolahan, Osogbo

As 2023 general elections draw nearer in Nigeria, a Non Governmental Organizations, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI),has urged Nigerians to conduct themselves peacefully and eschew violence before, during and after the general elections.

KDI in partnership with Election Violence Monitoring and Mitigation( EVMM) team, a Peace and Mediation working committee, gave the charge, on Tuesday, at a press conference addressed in Osogbo, Osun State.

The groups, however said in a bid to ensure violence free polls in the country, have trained 276 security monitors across six states.

Addressing the press,the Executive Director, KDI, Mr Olubukola Idowu, said that the effort was geared towards preventing election violence before, during and after the polls.

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Idowu, represented by Mrs Oluwakemi Akinyemi, Senior Programme Officer (KDI), said the gathering would help key actors participating in the coming general elections to further strategise towards ensuring a peaceful election.

Idowu pleaded passionately with stakeholders to ensure they play politics by the rules of engagement as being stipulated by Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) .

“KDI pleads with all stakeholders to include: INEC, political parties, youth leaders , party candidates , security personnels and political stalwarts.

“We want to appeal to political parties to enlighten their members on the need to observe a peaceful election,” he said

According to him, the electoral umpire must ensure that ad hoc staffs posted to the field are well equipped and also have the capacity to handle business of the polls.

“All election stakeholders need to ensure that all efforts are made towards having a violence-free general election in Osun State, as we hope for a peaceful atmosphere during and after the election.

“INEC is enjoined to ensure all election materials arrive at the various polling units timeously and election commences promptly to avoid any form of violence.

INEC must ensure that all the ad-hoc staff posted to the field are well-equipped and have the capacity to handle the business of the polls, as any perceived ineptitude on the part of INEC staff could call for violence.
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Also, Mr Dare Adeoye, the lead convener of Peace and Mediation Working Committee on Election Violence Monitoring and Mitigation, said the committee has been able to come out with some findings through the engagement of 60 security monitors in Osun .

Adeoye said about 20 local government areas out of the 30 local government areas in the state experienced electoral violence within Dec. 17 , 2022 and Feb. 4 , 2023 .

He said that stakeholders must further carry out citizens engagements to sensitised and enlightened their wards on the need for peaceful elections.

” Citizens, especially the aged , women and persons with disabilities must be assured of their safety during and after the polls for them not to experience any voter apathy .

“The palpable poverty in the land makes the citizens susceptible to vote selling and other forms of election fraud , ” Adeoye said .

According to him, the election violence monitoring and mitigation project focus on developing capacity of civil society to analysis and respond to incidence of election related conflicts .

“KDI with the support of International Republican Institute ( IRI) and other donor have trained 276 security monitors across six states .

“Osun is one of them having about 60 monitoring security personnel in the state with each local government areas having two each , to monitor and observe pre-election, election-day and post election situations . ”

“The 60 security monitors were responsible for monitoring the following: Physical Violence, Property Destruction, Protests, Inciting Violence, Recruiting Thugs, Arming Thugs, Government Restrictions on Political Activities, barred from using public spaces for campaigns and Vote Buying, among others, as indicators of electoral violence.

“Reports from the trained long-term security monitors deployed between 17th December 2022 and 4th February 2023 have identified the following election violence as prominent violence perpetrated in Osun State: physical violence, propertied destruction, protest, and vote buying. The following Local Government Areas (LGA) were identified to have experienced one form of electoral violence or the other.

“The LGAs include Odo-otin, Orolu, llesa East, Oriade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Atakumosa East and llesha West, Atakumosa West, Isokan, Ife South and Boripe, Ede North, and Ife North, Oriade, Orolu, Ayedire, Irewole, Osogbo and Olorunda. It’s alarming that 20 LGAs out of 30 LGAs have experienced electoral violence.

Also, the report has shown that the recruitment and arming of thugs are ongoing in some parts of the state. This is a potential for violence that poses a threat to a free, fair and credible election.

“Security agents should conduct themselves in a professional and impartial manner and ensure justice in discharging their duty.

“The security agents must not be heard, seen, or perceived to be in support of any political party or help in perpetrating election fraud. Any act of partisanship on the part of the security agents can jeopardize the peace in the State.
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On General Observation, he said: “While various groups have done a lot in citizen engagement, in the few days leading to the general election, more could be done to sensitize and enlighten the citizens on the need for them to come out to cast their votes peacefully. Citizens, especially the aged, women and Persons Living with Disability (PWDs), must be assured of their safety in order not to experience voter apathy from this set of people. The palpable poverty in the land makes the citizens susceptible to vote selling and other forms of election fraud.

CityMirrorNews reports that other ( EVMM) members are Mrs Adeola Shittu -Alamu , Rev. Paul Kolawole , Mrs Sadiat Oladapo, Mrs Oyewole Folasade and Mr Jide Falade.