Towards peaceful and credible elections – Ahmadiyya

Tomorrow, Nigeria will engage in general elections, the 6th since the democratic experience of 1999. We must congratulate Nigerians for this great turning point in the country's democratic journey, and this must be maintained.

One of the great attributes of democratic governance is its fundamental aspect, which is to give the people the right to directly elect their rulers / (their leaders) periodically. In the case of Nigeria, it is a quadrennial mandate, in accordance with paragraph 77, 117, 135 (2). 180 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

As in virtually every election, the atmosphere suffers as the peace and tranquility that prevailed in the country was threatened by poorly designed acts and / or defenseless statements by the part of political actors. their supporters. Therefore, before the general elections, the signing of peace by politicians has become a norm, allowing them to extract pledges for peace before, during and after the elections. It must be understood that this trend clearly departs from global best practices and underlines the precarious nature of our elections and the urgent need to go beyond them. It is to this extent that we have agreed with the President, in his New Year's speech, that "Elections need not be an unrestrained affair, and we should not approach this eventuality in a democracy with trepidation and deadly fear. ".

As a country, we must act quickly and look at public functions to be able to provide selfless service and not as a gold mine to satisfy our insatiable quest for wealth and notoriety. It is necessary to reorient ourselves to consider politics as what it is and not as a business to invest our time, money and emotions and to reap an exceptional harvest / when the opportunity comes to be able to occupy a public post.

INEC expects 84 million voters for the February poll

We unequivocally call for peaceful and credible elections in Nigeria. This is the least that Nigerians are asking for, including the international community. We are aware that this feat can not be achieved simply by wishing it; this requires concrete efforts and actions on the part of all the critical actors of the electoral enterprise.

It is in this respect that we urge the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair and just to all political parties in elections. They should hold the balance even to all participants regardless of their current positions. INEC staff members must adhere strictly to the oaths of loyalty and neutrality set out in article 28, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the 2010 Election Law (as amended) and must not accept any form of bribe or gratuity in the performance of their duties. badignment. The nation has not yet recovered from the brutal shock of the INEC staff convicted by the court, which has compromised the 2015 general election. This ugly scenario must not be repeated. Just as the election official has promised Nigerians, he must tackle the deplorable voter turnout at the polls head on and make sure that all the guilty parties make mistakes in accordance with sections 124 and 130 of the Elections Act. of 2010 (as amended).

To voters, we urge them to be civic before, during and after elections. They should avoid any violence and resist the temptation of any form of incitement by unscrupulous politicians to engage in violence of any kind in order to badert their political views. They are advised to avoid the lure of selling their voice as a plague and to exercise their civic responsibilities with any sense of responsibility. It is time for voters to show loyalty to the nation, according to the warning of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that loyalty to his country is part of the faith. We urge them to exercise their right to vote judiciously by voting for the candidate best able to release the trust given to them in accordance with Allah's exhortation in the Qur'an 4:59.

For political parties and their candidates, it is necessary to create an enabling environment conducive to the holding of free, fair and credible elections. They and their agents must refrain from inflammatory statements, religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling. They must keep in mind that this power belongs to God and that He gives it to whoever he wants – Koran 3:27. They must also respect peace agreements and respect the code of conduct for peaceful and credible elections, as well as the 2015 general elections.

We urge security agents to fulfill their duty to effectively secure the nation in order to create a favorable environment for citizens to exercise their right to vote. They must in no way be loyal to a candidate in elections, because they owe their allegiance and loyalty to the nation. They must be impartial and firm in providing the necessary support and support to the INEC, by preventing any attempt to purchase a candidate's ballot or any other election-related defect, before, during and after the elections.

Overall, the essence of governance is the well-being and security of people. Leave this point in the consciousness of all the candidates, and in particular the winner or winners of the elections. We urge them to do everything in their power and to do all that is humanly possible to improve the well-being of Nigerians who have suffered greatly from the economic downturn. The safety of people and property across the country must be a priority in order to put an end to the senseless killings across the country. They must justify the enormous confidence that the electors hold for them and govern the nation with the fear of God.

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