Electorate in Plateau State have been commended for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the last Saturday presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
Plateau Peace and Mediation Working Committee (PP & MC) gave the commendation in a press statement signed by its secretary, Mr. Paul Jatau and made available to SUNDAY STANDARD in Jos.
The statement revealed that the PP & MC is a platform of the Youth Initiative against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA) working in collaboration with National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI).
It added that the platform aims at conducting credible and violent free elections in Nigeria.
The statement pointed out that Plateau State has gone through much already for a little over two decades now, hence the need for the people to rethink wherever there is tension concerning any issues and note that a single wrong step can spark off yet another violence that none of us can predict how far it can go.
It maintained that it has observed that there has been tension in a few places which could escalate if not properly managed. We will all end up being loses, saying that there is no gainsaying the fact that there would always BE winners and losers in any contest.
According to the statement, losing in a continuous contest such as the periodic elections is only temporary as contenders could ordinarily go back to re-strategize for the next opportunity. It pointed out that, there have been several occasions where those who lost in the past came back and won another time.
It added that, it is all a game of a person’s ability to commend oneself to the electorate and performance at the period of service for those seeking re-election, stressing that this should be the case in a normal situation.
It further lamented that unfortunately our governance system and its institutions are weak. This, according to the statement includes the electoral and justice system. The electoral process which produces the winners and losers is not wholly trusted by the politicians and electorate.
PP & MC remarked that the question of credibility and fairness usually test the might of the electoral umpire in virtually every election. Sadly, the justice system is also not considered strong enough to deliver justice to aggrieved parties.
This according to the statement has often led to parties taking it upon themselves to personally address any perceived infraction through violence which sometimes leads to loss of lives, destruction of properties and injuries among others.
It maintained that, in spite of the fact that there are challenges with our justice system, we have had several instances where election results were successfully challenged, and the outcomes reversed. The group, therefore, appeals to all stakeholders to still resort to the legal procedure.
“We therefore urge all stakeholders, especially political leaders to restrain their followers. Former President Goodluck Jonathan rightly stated that nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen”, the statement concludes.
