The Osun state governorship elections scheduled for Saturday must be violence and rancour free, the National Peace Committee has said.
The committee said it has observed allegations of thuggery and heated debates among candidates contesting the Osun governorship election holding on Saturday.
The committee, therefore, called on candidates to adhere to the rules, adding that elections must be devoid of violence.
The committee’s Chairman, General Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.) disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The statement partly read, “We are aware that the contestants in the elections are running robust campaigns. These pre-election activities have at several times been characterised by vile comments, politics of blame, heated debates, and allegations of political thuggery.
“Elections should and must be devoid of utterances which stir up hate and instigate violent acts, monetisation of the process but rather follow the rudiments of democracy, which is the rule of law and acknowledging the rights of every citizen.
“As such, we have continued in our engagements with the candidates and political parties, to reiterate and call on them to ensure they conduct themselves with civility and patriotism, adhering to due process and not self-help. We urge that contestants approach the elections in a true spirit of sportsmanship.”
Abdulsalami also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to put in place measures to curb vote buying.
