Forum seeks peaceful election, urges support for president

TO guarantee a rancour-free election in the forthcoming general election, Good Governance Forum, a group interested in good governance has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure neutrality in all its functions.

  Speaking to The Guardian yesterday on the forthcoming election, the convener of the Forum, Chief Nwabueze Ogoeze, said INEC should not take sides but rather do everything possible to ensure that the election is free and fair.

 According to him, INEC as an unbiased umpire should abide by the rules of the electoral act and avoid doing things that could fuel crisis or malpractices.

 Ogoeze, who was speaking on the allegation that INEC is working for a particular political party called on all the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the various states to be neutral and refuse to joke with this election “because it is important and crucial to Nigeria’s peace and unity. 

 “So, the INEC has to do well and ensure that they live above board by providing a level playing ground for all the candidates in the contest.

In short INEC should prove its sincerity with the conduct of this election.”

 The group also extolled President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for embarking on massive infrastructure development, saying such prowess will guarantee the reelection   of the president for a second term in office.

 According to him, President Jonathan’s administration has not only reactivated the railway transportation after decades of being moribund but has procured new locomotive engines and coaches with air conditioner, which no administration has done in the past.

 According to him, train services are operational on daily basis in Nigeria, while new rail lines are also being built to link Lagos to Calabar.

 He also said the president has also done well in aviation industry by remodeling to make it meet international standard, which has already started to yield good results in the economy.

On road infrastructure, the convener said Jonathan has embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of almost all roads across the country and should be applauded by all lovers of democracy and good governance.

 According to him, “it is a welcome development and I think he has done well in that area. It is work in progress, so he deserves to be given more time to finish all these projects he embarked upon.

“Jonathan is doing well in all the areas of the economy by putting everything in place gradually but the problem is that people want to see immediate result.

“ That is why we are calling on Nigerians to give him more time to deliver on all the things he started, he won’t do them overnight”.