Ekiti Guber: Security agencies urged to protect voters amid security threats

The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), a civil society organisation and accredited election observer has urged security agencies in the country to ensure adequate security for voters, INEC workers and election monitors during and after the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti state.

“We are concerned that the election is taking place in Nigeria amid a perilous security climate”, Executive Director of CTA, Ms Faith Nwadishi, said on Monday.

The CTA made the appeal during an

advocacy visits to security agencies and important government agencies, including the DSS, the NSCDC, and the National Orientation Agency.

On INEC’s preparations, CTA said that towards ensuring a credible voting exercise, INEC has declared that it will provide 3,346 BVAS devices to the 10,269 polling workers throughout the election.

Nwadishi said that CTA also held advocacy and sensitization meetings with relevant stakeholders in Ado Ekiti to raise citizens’ awareness of the need to vote en masse and to maintain peace and order before, during, and after election.

CTA also resoles as follows:

*This political actor must guarantee that his or her acts and statements do not incite violence or unduly inflame the political climate.

*That security authorities should provide guarantees and make necessary measures for the protection of voters prior to and following elections.

*that voters must turn out in large numbers to exercise their democratic rights by voting for their preferred candidates and avoiding vote-buying.

*INEC should ensure that its workers are fully trained on the operation of the BVAS machines and the election guidelines to guarantee a free, fair, and credible governorship election.

*that parents must not allow their children to be used as political thugs to disrupt the peaceful conduct of elections