The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in Edo State on Thursday said that it was prepared to mobilise the people of the state for the September 21 governorship election in the state in a bid to ensure mass participation.
NOA gave the assurance at a stakeholders engagement, where it appealed to the people to play by the rules for a free and fair exercise.
The stakeholders forum had various security and para-military organisations in attendance alongside members of the civil society groups, religious groups, representatives of political parties, the media and others.
The Edo State Director of NOA, Mr. Osahon Woghiren, while speaking at the event, said that attention would be focused on vote selling and vote buying which he said is a “trending vice in our policy.
“The National Orientation Agency says ‘No’ to this and we must all work to eliminate it,” he reiterated.
He said there was the need to mobilise citizens for active participation in the electoral process and encourage them to exercise their civic responsibilities and discourage citizens from engaging in all forms of “violence, intimidation, voter apathy and harassment before, during and after the governorship election.”
To foster the citizens’ confidence in the electoral process and the democratic system, the NOA boss called on the “Traditional and religious leaders, youths, civil societies, market women, non-governmental organizations and others to mobilise our people, as the quest for a free and credible election in Edo State is highly essential for a viable and stable policy.
“The youths in particular, must not allow themselves to be used by un-patriotic politicians to format trouble or disrupt the elections.”
He said the event would be replicated in all the 18 Local Government Areas in Edo State where the NOA field officers would mobilise citizens at the grassroots.
Woghiren added that the Independent National Electoral Council (INEC) was committed to conducting a free, fair and credible election in the state and that NOA would continue to advocate and mobilise the electorates to exercise their civic responsibilities in a peaceful manner.
The Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, who was represented by Ebeli Okonkwo, urged the voters in the state to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice.
“INEC is here to assure you on that, come out to vote, the security agencies will protect you and ensure your security and when you come out to vote, conduct yourself in an orderly manner. Do not engage in violence, fighting or thuggery. No ballot box snatching, let us all ensure that we come out and make sure that you recognise the logo of your political party because it will help you make a good choice of who you want to vote for,” The NOA DG said.
The representative of INEC at the event, Dedekuma Emmanuel, said the Commission was ready for the election, while the representative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Muhammed Abdulaziz, said the anti-graft agency would watch out for voter buyers and sellers.
A civil society representative, Jude Obasnami said politicians have devised new methods of vote buying and said sensitising the people was the way forward to stop vote buying.
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