Ahead of the Saturday 2023 governorship and state assembly elections, a coalition of women groups has sent a strong warning to political parties against inducements, intimidation, and violence.
The women also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be accountable to the people and ensure that they truly deliver a transparent, free, and fair election.
In a statement signed by Dr. Abiola Akiode-Afolabi on behalf of the coalition, the groups emphasized the need for an enabling civic space, public participation, fundamental freedoms, and a violence-free environment.
The statement reads:
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set aside March 18, 2023, as the new date for the Governorship and State Assembly Elections in Nigeria. The election is slated to take place in 28 States while the governorship poll will take place in 36 States of the federation.
The Women Groups Cohort led by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) with support from Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) ; includes the Gender and Constitution Reforms (GECORN) Gender Technical Unit (GTU) , Womanifesto and National Coalition on Affirmative Action(NCAA) call on authorities, candidates and political parties in Nigeria to foster an enabling environment for peaceful elections and prevent election-related violence, as the country prepares to go to polls on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
The women groups emphasize the need for an enabling civic space, public participation, fundamental freedoms and a violence-free environment as being critical to foster inclusive engagement in the electoral process, and the exercise of political rights.
As such, we urge all stakeholders in Nigeria to respect and uphold the right to political participation, freedoms of assembly, of association, of opinion and expression, especially of women candidates and voters well before, during and after the polls.
Elections in the country have repeatedly resulted in outbreaks of violence, including gender-based and sexual violence, high prevalence of vote buying and other corrupt practices.
As lead-women coalitions, we emphasise the principle of “one woman one vote” and the importance of creating an enabling environment for peaceful and inclusive elections that will deliver upon the aspirations of Nigerians while we frown against all forms of transactional politics, either vote buying or selling.
The group under the leadership of WARDC has deployed 400 observers across the 28 states and call on INEC to be more transparent in the coming elections. INEC should be accountable to the people and therefore ensure that they truly deliver transparent, free and fair election for the people. Nigeria is at the verge of its fragility and INEC holds all of us a responsibility to ensure that laid down procedures are followed and people’s votes count.
There are over 1 500 women running for the House of Assembly elections and 24 women for gubernatorial, we wish them the best in the upcoming elections and call on Nigerians to vote women.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed:
Dr. Abiola Akiyode – Afolabi
For the Women Group
08055951858
