By Davies Iheamnachor
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, has tasked political parties and their candidates for the 2027 elections to engage in issue-based campaigns and shun inflammatory rhetoric.
This was as stakeholders, including party leaders, traditional rulers and civil society organisations, have called on political actors. security agencies and citizens to embrace peaceful conduct before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
These calls formed the major discussions of the one-day Rivers Dialogue, organised by the newsroom of Megalectrics Limited, operators of Beat FM, Classic FM and Naija FM, in collaboration with the Professor Oke Onuchuku Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.
The dialogue, themed “Peaceful Elections: Sustainable Path for Economic Development,” brought together political actors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to discuss ways to prevent electoral violence and strengthen democracy in the 2027 polls.
Addressing the participants, Adepoju said peaceful elections were necessary to sustain investors’ confidence, protect businesses and create an environment for development.
Adepoju, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) for the Rivers State Police Command, Ikechukwu Okoro, urged political parties to discourage violence among their supporters and advised candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns rather than inflammatory rhetoric.
He further called on the media to use their platforms responsibly to promote peace rather than escalate tensions during the election.
Meanwhile, Head of News Department, Megaletrics, Allwell Ene, said the dialogue was put together to ensure a violence free election in the state.
He said: “The Rivers Dialogue was designed towards fostering violence-free and peaceful elections in Rivers State come 2027. Elections are critical periods in Nigeria because they alter the power structure within a state, the sub-national and the national levels where known political actors seek to establish their claims to power.”
Ene noted that the state is notorious for electoral violence and security breaches during elections in the country, adding that such violence spills into other elections which subsequently paralyses governance and economic activities in the state; hence, the dialogue intends to address some of the issues.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said credible elections required the collective responsibility of citizens, political institutions and electoral stakeholders.
Issa-Onilu, represented by the Rivers State Director of NOA, Dr Banigo Edward, said the increasing number of registered voters alone could not guarantee credible elections without civic discipline, active participation and responsible conduct before, during and after the polls.
He said: “A free, fair and credible election in 2027 cannot be guaranteed by INEC alone. It requires a collective responsibility, civic discipline, moral courage and active participation of every citizen.”
However, the Paramount Ruler of Elelenwo Etor Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Highness, Eze Sunny Weli Chukwu, called for proper training and orientation for security personnel deployed for election monitoring to prevent unnecessary violence.
Chukwu urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure eligible voters had access to their Permanent Voter Cards and called on traditional rulers to educate their communities, particularly youths, against electoral violence and vote-buying.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Rivers State, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, pledged his commitment to peaceful elections and governance, emphasising that protecting lives and property remained the primary responsibility of government.
He said, “I am fully, unconditionally committed to a peaceful election and peaceful governance in Rivers State.”
Other governorship candidates, including those of the Social Democratic Party and the Peoples Redemption Party, National Rescue Movement as well as Boot, also expressed their commitment to non-violent elections in the state.
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