Nigerians have been called upon to avoid resorting to violence in the event that their choice candidates do not win the next month’s general elections.
This call was made by a former General Secretary of the United Nations, UN, Mr. Kofi
Annan while addressing a coalition of over 60 civil society organizations in Abuja yesterday on their role in ensuring electoral integrity.
Annan, who is also the Chairman of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security warned politicians to be careful with their language to avoid post-election violence, which he described as the bane of elections in Nigeria since 1999.
According to him, many elections that were conducted across Africa within the past two decades gave democracy a bad name, noting that “flawed elections have eroded the trust of citizens in the democratic process.”
He maintained that Nigerian leaders should think about the next generation rather than focusing on winning the next election at all cost.
He said: “What the experience of the last 20 years teaches us is that elections are not enough if they are not conducted with integrity and able to reflect the real will of the people.”
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