The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said despite its hard work “to ensure a credible process in the forthcoming elections, reports of clashes among parties and their supporters in some states of the country during the ongoing electioneering campaign is worrisome.”
The Commission also said there were “reported denial of access to public facilities for parties and candidates in some states of the federation.”
INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu stated this in Abuja Tuesday at the “Training of Master Trainers on Election Technology for the 2023 general elections.”
He warned political parties and their supporters to focus on issues and steer clear of attacks on each other.
“A peaceful electioneering campaign is critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible elections. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation closely and will convene a meeting with leaders of political parties next week to discuss, among the other issues, the imperative of peaceful campaigns and equal access to public facilities.
“In the same vein, the Commission will also meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) next week.
Yakubu reminded the parties and their supporters that “these are not only violations of the Electoral Act 2022 but also negate the voluntary commitment by all political parties and candidates to the letter and spirit of the Peace Accord signed about three weeks ago under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC).