By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

With less than 24 hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, a coalition of 70 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, on Friday, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remain neutral.

The groups, under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, in its preliminary statement on the pre- election environment ahead of the impending general elections, said it was necessary for INEC to monitor activities of its officials to ensure that they conduct the electoral process in a fair and credible manner.

It decried that in the final hours before the elections, there have been reports of security challenges, acts of violence and political tension across the country, especially in the South East, North West and Lagos.

“With barely a few hours to the elections, fuel scarcity and bank queues remain, adding to the already tense atmosphere.

“The Situation Room recognizes that certain areas in Lagos State could potentially be hot spots as the elections progress.

“In the light of these, Situation Room finds it incumbent for security services especially the Nigeria Police with the State to prioritise creating a secure environment for citizens to exercise their franchise.

“Situation Room strongly condemns the killings and any act of election violence and urged authorities to stem further violence to create an enabling environment for peaceful, free and fair elections.

“It is also critical that the Nigerian Police and other security agencies safeguard citizens, remain vigilant towards election violence, tackle vote buying and work together with stakeholders to ensure a safe and peaceful election.

“The Situation Room reminds all citizens and political parties to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner and yo discourage violence by their supporters.

“It is crucial that candidates and parties have a moral and legal obligation to abide by the Peace Agreement, as there will be consequences for reneging in the agreement in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Situation Room remains committed to continue to provide assessment og the environment ahead of the 2023 General Election.

“Situation Room is closely watching and will keep receiving reports of incidence on our contact details”, the statement, which was signed by conveners of the CSOs, Ene Obi, Asma’u Joda and James Ugochukwu, further read.

Among members of the Situation Room which is an amalgam of CSOs working in support of credible and transparent elections in the country, are; Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Center for Democracy and Development, Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC), CISLAC, The Albino Foundation, Yiaga Africa, and Electoral Hub.