The South-East Council of Traditional Rulers urged youths on Thursday to abstain from acting as thugs ahead of, during, and after the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections on March 18.
This is stated in a joint statement from Igwe Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, and Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, the chairman of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers and chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
Along with Eze E.C. Okeke, the Eze Udo 2, and Eze Joseph Nwabeke, the Ezeamara of Eziama Ntigha and Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, they both signed the document.
It said that the traditional rulers were privy to some rumours circulating in the region that some elements wanted to apply violence to disturb or disrupt the forthcoming Governorship and State House Assembly Elections coming up on March 18.
According to the statement, the royal fathers are seriously concerned about this development and would like to appeal to all the political parties to know that elections are not do or die affairs.
It noted that “the beauty of democracy is that people, whether in government or out of government, live in free society”.
“The South-East Council of Traditional Rulers request as follows: That all the youths in the South-East are hereby requested to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the elections.
“All the youth, whether indigenous or not, in the South-East, should not lend themselves as tools in the hands of political parties for the purpose of causing violence on the election day.
“Political parties should honour the peace accord they signed by ensuring that they do not recruit and arm thugs to disrupt the elections.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be truly professional and impartial in the discharge of their duties before, during and after the elections.
“The law enforcement agencies should equally be professional and impartial to promptly and firmly stop or deal with those who try to commit electoral offences,” it said.
The statement said that the zone had witnessed unnecessary violence and bloodshed in recent times due to insecurity.
“It is, therefore, the strongest desire of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers that this forthcoming election should become free, fair, credible and violence-free,” it said.
It also appreciated the people of South-East for heeding the advice contained in its earlier communiqué for them to troop out en masse to cast their votes during the just-concluded elections on Feb. 25.
“The royal fathers were impressed by the peaceful manner the elections were held in the zone, with few exceptions,” it added. (NAN)
