Guber poll: Coalition cautions against violence in S/West, tasks INEC on transparency
The Yoruba Self-Determination Coalition (YSDC) on Saturday called on political gladiators and electorate to eschew violence in the forthcoming March 11 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the South West states.
Spokesman of the group, Mr Alex Omotehinse, who gave the caution while addressing newsmen in Lagos, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair and transparent in their operations.
Omotehinse said: “We call on political gladiators to stop heating the polity and threatening our social existence as a sovereign nation.
“This call is imperative based on our members field survey, international reports and media houses reportage in relation to the last Saturday presidential elections across country.
“We call on INEC as umpire to be fair to all, and conduct free and transparent election that can stand test of time.
“We call on all security agencies that will be on duty to be impartial and discharge their duties as enshrined in the electoral law.
“We also call on all political office seekers across political divides to be law abiding and stop over-heating the polity and seek redress through legal process in case of any discrepancy.”
He said that the coalition, as a participatory organ in Nigeria project, observed that the Feb. 25 Presidential elections had thrown up diverse opinions especially to Lagos aborigins.
According to him, to some, the outcome of the Presidential election was not acceptable while the non-indigenes saw it as a confirmation of their presence in the political space of the state.
“Ours is not to be drawn in for/against the position of the people but to put it succinctly so as to shape the minds of Nigerians irrespective of their sex, religion, tribe or ethnicity to eschew violence, intimidation and harassment of one another as gist on the street of Lagos symbolizes and epitomizes showdown from all.
“Hence, we call for harmonious peaceful co-existence.
“YSDC is aware of tribal sentiment put on the public domain, especially in Lagos (Yoruba/Igbo dichotomy) towards March 11 Governorship and states assembly election script by political actors to gain sympathy from electorates.
“This is invariably heating the polity and may end-up causing voters apathy, disfranchising Lagos residents to perform their civic responsibility as enshrined in the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Omotehinse urged constituted authorities to address the growing tension especially in Lagos state in real-time so as to disabuse the mind of the people .
He said that the coalition had mobilised it’s members and likeminds to be on look out across the south-western states to forestall violence.
“We have mobilised our members to maintain peace and order and rise in unison to defend the people in case of those hellbent in causing chaos and mayhem.
“Ours is to defend the defenseless and the oppress,” he said.
Omotehinse said that the group had written a letter to the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa on the need for the police to see election duty as a constitutional role that require more seriousness.
According to him, YSDC is a mass-based organisation guided by Oodua philosophy, equipped with intellectual capability and armed with street credibility.
He said that the YSDC remains a conglomerate of different Yoruba Non-Governmental Organisations founded mainly to defend interest of Yoruba race.
Omotehinse said that the coalition was also aimed at advancing cultural heritage, promoting socio-economy and fundamental human rights of Yoruba men, women and every Nigerians as enshrined by the Nigeria constitution.
Some members of the coalition in attendance include Evangelist Kunle Adesokan Mr Hameed Balogun and Mrs Bolaji Komolafe.
They took turns to charge various leaders of contending political parties not to see the election as a do or die affair.
