2019 election foundation urges nigerians to shun vote buying
The 2019 election foundation, a non-partisan organization that promotes free and fair elections in Nigeria, has urged Nigerians to shun vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractices.
In a statement issued on Monday, the foundation said that vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractices are a threat to the integrity of the electoral process and can undermine the will of the people.
The foundation also urged political parties and their candidates to refrain from engaging in vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractices, and to instead focus on issues that affect the lives of Nigerians.
The statement read in part: "We urge all Nigerians to reject vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractices. We also urge political parties and their candidates to refrain from engaging in such practices and instead focus on issues that affect the lives of Nigerians.
"We believe that the integrity of the electoral process is crucial to the stability and development of our democracy. We therefore urge all stakeholders to work together to ensure that the 2019 elections are free, fair and credible.
"We also urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take all necessary steps to prevent and detect electoral malpractices, and to ensure that the will of the people is respected.
"We believe that the 2019 elections present a unique opportunity for Nigerians to exercise their democratic rights and to choose leaders who will work for their benefit. We therefore urge all Nigerians to take their civic responsibilities seriously and to participate in the electoral process in a peaceful and orderly manner."
The foundation also urged the media to play a crucial role in promoting free and fair elections by providing accurate and unbiased information to the public.
The statement read in part: "We urge the media to play a crucial role in promoting free and fair elections by providing accurate and unbiased information to the public. We also urge the media to report any cases of electoral malpractices and to hold political parties and their candidates accountable for their actions.
"We believe that the media has a critical role to play in promoting democracy and ensuring that the will of the people is respected. We therefore urge the media to take their responsibilities seriously and to play a positive role in the electoral process."
The foundation also urged civil society organizations to play a crucial role in promoting free and fair elections by monitoring the electoral process and reporting any cases of electoral malpractices.
The statement read in part: "We urge civil society organizations to play a crucial role in promoting free and fair elections by monitoring the electoral process and reporting any cases of electoral malpractices. We also urge civil society organizations to work with political parties and their candidates to promote peaceful and orderly elections.
"We believe that civil society organizations have a critical role to play in promoting democracy and ensuring that the will of the people is respected. We therefore urge civil society organizations to take their responsibilities seriously and to play a positive role in the electoral process."
The foundation also urged the international community to continue to support Nigeria's democratic process and to provide technical assistance to INEC to ensure that the 2019 elections are free, fair and credible.
The statement read in part: "We urge the international community to continue to support Nigeria's democratic process and to provide technical assistance to INEC to ensure that the 2019 elections are free, fair and credible. We also urge the international community to condemn any forms of electoral malpractices and to support Nigeria's efforts to promote democracy and good governance.
"We believe that the international community has a critical role to play in promoting democracy and ensuring that the will of the people is respected. We therefore urge the international community to take their responsibilities seriously and to play a positive role in the electoral process."