**Says Flood may hinder poll
By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja
Ahead of the November 16 Guber election in Kogi State, the Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolutions, CHRCR, Idris Miliki, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security personnel to take cognisance of nine local government councils in Kogi Stage that are prone to violence and takes proactive measure to curtail the violence.
Miliki who stated this yesterday at a one-day Review Meeting for Media and Civil Society Organization, held in Lokoja, called said those nine councils areas are flashpoints that must be seriously addressed by the electoral panel and security ahead of the November 16 governorship else risks a failed exercise.
Miliki listed the local government areas which are most vulnerable to violence to includes; Dekina, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Bassa, Adavi, Okehi, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu and Lokoja.
He, however, said the flood-prone council areas of Ofu, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi, Ibaji and Idah Local government may hinder smooth conduct of the November election, saying that INEC must be proactive.
Miliki said, “We charged security agents to listen to the early warning signals so as to make adequate arrangements to be able to contain possible breakdown of violence before, during and after the November election.
“We equally charged the Independent National Election Commission, (INEC), to engage critical stakeholders in discussion and to carry out more sensitization campaign in both electronic, print and the Social media.
“Similarly, we called on political parties to be more transparent in the handling of party’s and in the conduct of their primaries so as to be able to track corruption in the electoral process.”
The program is been sponsored by the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation.
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