By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- Ahead of the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, National Association of State Assembly Legislators, NASAL, has urged youth in the State to shun all forms of electoral violence.

This assertion was made by the Director General, NASAL, Hon. Uchechukwu Chukwuma while talking about the need for politicians to step up their political maturity in accepting election results.

He said: “Election in Nigeria has been marred with violence that has portrayed the nation’s electoral process in bad light.

“With the uncommon demonstration and sportsmanship displayed to the world by former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, there is a new era in the electoral process and that has restored confidence in the comity of nations over the Nigerian electoral process.

“We in National Association of State Assembly Legislators, NASAL, appeal especially to youth in Bayelsa State to shun all forms of electoral violence ahead of the December 5 governorship election slated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before, during and after the election.

“We want them to avoid being used by politicians who does not care about their life and future.

“And It is also imperative to make young people understand that violence will always rob them the  opportunity to check, criticize and correct politicians in government because they have sold their integrity by taking paltry sum of money from these politicians who will use them against their own family members and to achieve selfish objectives at their expense.”

Chukwuma also advised the electorates in the state to remember how INEC taught them about thumb printing in the box after the logo of the political parties contesting in the election.

“We want to make this salient point that electorates should remember what INEC taught them on how to thumb print in the box by the political party logo.

“This is important so as to avoid their vote being voided as was the case in the recent Kogi State governorship election. If the electorates in Bayelsa State adhere to this instruction on the way of proper thumb printing their vote will count, and let them make sure they come to the polling stations with their Permanent Voter Card, PVC, to exercise their franchise”, he added.