*Tells security agencies to remain alert, bring anyone found wanting to book

*Hails Obi, Atiku for seeking legal redress over outcome of presidential election

*Don’t be intimidated go out to vote it tasks voters

By Joseph Erunke

AHEAD of Saturday’s Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections, the National Peace Committee, NPC, has expressed concerns over what it described as “open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements within the society who are using ethnic and religious labels to achieve their intentions of voter suppression.”

To this end,the committee has tasked security and law enforcement agencies to remain alert and to bring to book anyone, no matter their position in society who poses a threat to the peaceful conduct of the elections.

The committee encouraged all citizens not to be intimidated by the threats, insisting that they must go out and exercise their God given rights.

On the other hand,the committee in a statement, Thursday,by its chairman and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar,retd,commended the presidential candidates of the Labour Party,LP, Mr Peter Obi and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for seeking legal redress following the problems that arose from the process of the collation, transmission and release of the final results.

Noting that it was pleased and encouraged by the matured attitudes of the candidates who contested the presidential elections,the committee said it was encouraged by the restraint they have exhibited and their commitment to seek justice through due process.

The statement read in full:”We are following up with the same appeal that we made ahead of the Presidential elections on February 25″ 2023. We at the Peace Committee understand and appreciate that these are trying times for our country and its citizens.

“Presidential elections have come and gone. However, problems have arisen from the process of the collation, transmission and release of the final results. This has generated the crisis that we now find ourselves.

“Notwithstanding all this, we are pleased and encouraged by the matured attitudes of the Candidates who contested the Presidential elections. We are encouraged by the restraint they have exhibited and their commitment to seek justice through due process.

“This is in keeping with the spirit of the Peace Accord. We therefore appeal to the supporters of all the Parties and our citizens to please follow the good example of their leaders and remain law abiding till the process is brought to an end.

“This weekend, on March 18” 2023, the second round of Elections for the Governorship and State Assemblies will be conducted. We are worried by the open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements within the society who are using ethnic and religious labels to achieve their intentions of voter suppression.

“We appeal to the Security and Law enforcement Agencies to remain alert and to bring to book anyone, no matter their position in society who poses a threat to the peaceful conduct of the elections.

” We encourage all citizens not to be intimidated and to go out and exercise their God given rights.

“Finally,we at the Peace Committee wish to thank all our peace -loving citizens. We thank the security agencies and pray that INEC will do everything possible to ensure that elections are peaceful so as to gain the confidence of citizens. May Almighty God bless our country and bless you all.”