Idris Miliki Abdul, executive director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), has called on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kogi State to put every machinery in place in the forthcoming election to enhance a peaceful atmosphere that can guarantee peaceful elections and, by extension, a peaceful country.
In his chat with BusinessDay on Friday, he equally called on all security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police, to conduct mapping to identify flash points and trigger zones for effective collaboration among all the stakeholders.
‘We call on International development partners to support the original Civil Society Organisation (CSO) to continue to engage the citizens for peaceful elections in Nigeria, saying as the 2027 elections in Nigeria take shape, we must all know and understand that it must be ballots and not bullets,’ he said.
Also speaking on the International Day of Peace that is celebrated every 21st of September, he said, as the world celebrates the International Day of Peace, let there be peace in our country. As campaigning toward the Kogi State local government election slated for October 17, 2026, is fast approaching, the presidential and National Assembly schedule for January 16, 2027, and the governor and the state Assembly put on February 6, 2027. Let there be peace.
‘Elections are a process and not a one-day event; we, political parties, their candidates, their supporters, the voters across the country should understand that elections are a contest and not do-or-die affairs. We call on the Nigerian youth in particular not to allow them to be used as agents of destruction, as the youth can also be leaders of today and tomorrow’.