By Dayo Johnson

AKURE – CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has warned all the candidates of political parties in the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State against heating up the polity with aggressive languages, threats and other forms of intimidation before, during and after the elections.

Prof Jega spoke in Akure, Ondo State capital, at a sensitisation workshop for political parties in the governorship elections organised by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi.

Speaking through a Commissioner in Charge of Political Parties, Hajia Amina Zakari, Jega said politicians should beware of the electoral law that is against violent conduct and the use of violent languages.

The Chairman said the political parties Code of Conduct 2010 commits all political parties to peaceful conduct at all times before, during and after elections.  He said the commission “is most concerned when the electoral environment is over-heated by aggressive languages, threats and other forms of intimidation before, during and after the elections.

“These do not augur well for all the contestants, the voters as well as the political and electoral system at large. Such an atmosphere also generates and inevitably creates situations that not only leads to threats to life and property, but could also impact negatively on the credibility of the election.”

According to him, while the commission builds confidence amongst stakeholders, politicians should equally begin to deepen the culture of tolerance in the political and electoral process in the country.

He said: “We can then look forward to situations when violence and intimidation of the electorate will be firmly put behind us and where electoral outcome are not just free, but are freely accepted by all.”

Senator Obi said President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to free and fair elections towards consolidating the nation’s democracy. He said politicians should ensure a crises-free election on October 20 in the state.   Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said free and fair election would strengthen the nation’s democracy and should not be compromised.

He appealed to INEC to not only be an unbiased arbiter, but should be “evidently seen as clean in the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State.”   Governorship candidates of the 13 political parties, stakeholders and political party’s chieftains, who were in attendance, agreed to work together for a free and fair election.