From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
As the governorship election in Kogi state draws closer, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Leaders across the 21 council areas of the state on Friday signed peace pact with the Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change In Development (PIBCID), a nongovernmental organization in collaboration with the National Democratic Institute to ensure free, fair and credible polls.
The state, zonal and local APC Youth Leaders drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state were involved in the peace agreement with a promise to desist from illegalities that could disrupt the electoral process before, during and after the governorship election.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Senior Manager with the National Democratic Institute, Ben Aga who counselled the Youth Leaders on Electoral Offences and their Penalties, urged them to strive to take the path of peace or risk to face the wrath of the law.
He enumerated some of the electoral offences and their implications which the youths must endeavor to avoid at all times to include, forging of PVC cards, wilful removal or destroying of ballot papers or boxes from polling units without authorisation as well as interference with them and their contents such as result sheets.
Other electoral offences mentioned by the Resource Person are, illegal printing or possession of ballot papers, improper use of voter’s cards, vote buying, selling, impersonation of voting and unruly behaviors at political party meetings.
Ben Aga also warned youths across the state not to allow themselves fall victims of electoral fraud to avoid being sanctioned in accordance with the law of the land.
In her opening remarks, the Acting Executive Director of Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change In Development, Halima Sadiq disclosed that their target audience for the peace talk project are the young people that are prone to violence during elections.
She appealed to political gladiators, party members and supporters to embrace the spirit of issue based campaigns devoid of hate speech and spreading of unfounded information that could mar the electoral process.
Halima also disclosed that her organization has been able to embark on massive education of the young generation to allow peace reign in their immediate society, especially during elections, namely, Social Media campaigns, Radio jingles, Television Programmes and door to door enlightenment.
The Spokesman of the APC Youth Leaders, appreciated the organizers of the peace forum which according him had provided necessary potentials on peace development and promised to impact positively on the lives of the future leaders.
