NYCN warns against allowing insecurity to mar polls

• CSO, scholar urge journalists to advocate peace
• Ogun police urge parties to eschew violence

National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), South West Zone, has expressed worry over the security situation in the country.

Calling on the nation’s security agencies to do more to secure the nation ahead of the general elections, the council appealed that no vote should be lost because of insecurity.

During a press briefing on the state of the nation in Lagos, yesterday, the Vice President, NYCN South West Zone, Tomi Amosun, attributed the lingering fuel scarcity to the handiwork of saboteurs, saying any ploy to scuttle the election would be met with stiff resistance by Nigerian youths.

While supporting the naira redesign, the Chairman NYCN Ogun State, AbdulJabar Aiyelagbe, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to be diligent in the implementation and to learn from countries that implemented similar policy seamlessly.

The council called on Nigerians to participate actively in the elections and public-spirited citizens to campaign vigorously for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection across the country.
SIMILARLY, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and a Communication scholar, Dr. Olayinka Oyegbile, have urged journalists covering the 2023 polls not to use their platforms to stoke tension but advocate peace.

They made the call, yesterday, at Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development in Nigeria, at Ibadan, Oyo State, during the meeting heralding the Journalism Training on Peaceful and Non-Violent Elections billed to commence today.

At the programme funded by the European Union (EU), Oyegbile urged the media not to join those saying the polls might ruin the country.

He said: “As media, we have stakes in the country; we even have more stakes than politicians. We should use our media to douse the tension.”

CAPPA Director of Programmes, Philip Jakpor, said the responsibility of the media is to ensure that people’s views are aired.

The Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: “Use your platform to advocate peace. Peace is one thing that all of us should have an agreement on before, during and after the elections.”

The Policy and Research Officer, Zikora Ibeh, urged the media to take a lead and ensure that people are educated about the new Electoral Act.
ALSO, Ogun State Police Command has appealed to members of various political parties to eschew violence and go about their campaign in a peaceful manner.

The command expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of parties electioneering so far and enjoined them to sustain the tempo.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, appealed to parties’ candidates to advise their supporters on the need to play the game by the rule, and make their campaigns issue-based, rather than of attack.

The command assured the general public of safety, as it had emplaced robust security arrangement to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, while wishing the political parties hitch-free electioneering, enjoined parents to call their wards to order.

“Anyone caught fomenting trouble in any part of the state, under any guise, will be dealt with in the most decisive manner,” he warned.