A SOCIO-CULTURAL group, Benin Forum Sunday urged politicians and all stakeholders in the general elections to avoid violence, saying the call for the shift of the elections is unacceptable and an indication that some politicians were trying to cause chaos in the country.

   Speaking at a press briefing in Benin city, Chairman of the Forum, the Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edibiri said the forthcoming elections will not disintegrate the country but however warned “politicians, members and supporters of political parties to maintain approved ethical standards, before, during and after the elections so as to ensure a free, fair and credible elections that will be accepted by all.”

   He stated that the general elections will be peaceful and violence free, adding that the call for its postponement because of the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) is “mischievous, unpatriotic in all intent and purpose and a direct invitation to chaos and anarchy.”

   “The Forum frowns at the activities of few anti-democratic forces who in recent times called for the shifting of the elections to a future date citing the ongoing distribution of the PVCs as a reason for such a mischievous call. The Benin Forum emphatically calls on the relevant authorities to ignore the unpatriotic suggestion, which it is a direct invitation to chaos and anarchy. The election must hold in February as scheduled to save our nascent democracy,” he said.

   He added that, “In the North East a lot of people would be disenfranchised due to the security challenges, those who are calling for the postponement of the elections do not have the people suffering in mind, it is for their own selfish interest. It is a fact in history that today many Nigerians are refugees in other people’s country in Chad, in Niger and some other West African countries. We are going to miss them in this election but there are another sets of refugees they call internally displaced persons who have their camps within the country.

   “We call on INEC to ensure that such people with the requisite PVC are given the opportunity to vote after all in some other countries prisoners are allowed to vote. INEC must ensure that those who are internally displaced are given the opportunity to cast their votes in this election.”