THE ELECTORAL Hub, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has expressed concerns over irregularities in Ondo and Edo party governorship primaries.
Ms Princess Hamman-Obels, the Director, Electoral Hub, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the primaries resulted in lots of complaints.
Hamman-Obels said that the political parties held their primaries from February to April with lots of concern that called for quick interventions by stakeholders and the electoral umpire.
“These primaries were held in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for Sept.21, and Nov.16 in Edo and Ondo States respectively.
“The contests were however, characterised by alarming reports of irregularities and complaints in both states across party lines.
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“The complaints underscore a worrying trend of threats to inclusivity and internal democracy within party structures.
“It also points to a readiness of contesting parties and candidates to flout electoral rules and undermine the integrity and credibility of the process,” she said.
Hamman-Obels said that successful election required collective action by stakeholders, particularly political parties and their candidates.
‘’Election is a process and not an event, therefore the actions and inactions preceding and after the contest are crucial determinants of its success or failure,’’ she said.
She said that it was important for the political parties and stakeholders to begin acting toward ensuring a credible process that all Nigerians would be proud to be associated with.
“The Electoral Hub firmly believes that free, fair, and credible elections are essential for the sustenance of democracy and the stability of any nation.
“As such, stakeholders, especially political parties and candidates, must take steps to avoid actions that undermine the credibility of the process.
“Concerted efforts should be exerted towards ensuring the credibility of the process, not only on election day but also before and after the election,” she said.
Hamman-Obels said that deviating from the principles would undermine the credibility of the electoral process and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
“As political parties gear up for campaign activities, The Electoral Hub urges them and their candidates to conduct themselves in accordance with the rule of law and democratic norms,” he said.
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She said that the most pressing concern during campaign was the issue of pre-election violence, hate speech, and inciting remarks.
She urged parties and candidates to take steps toward preventing electoral violence of any kind, especially during campaigns.
The group’s director also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the electoral umpire to address the identified challenges.
She said that NEC needed to take necessary measures to ensure that the upcoming governorship elections in both states were conducted in a credible, peaceful, and transparent manner.
Hamman-Obels also called for collaboration among all stakeholders, including political parties, candidates, electoral officials, security agencies, civil society organisations, and the media to ensure peaceful and successful governorship election. (NAN)
