The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara, Malam Garba Attahiru-Madami, has expressed concern over the recent political violence in the state.
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Attahiru-Madami, who spoke at an interactive session with traditional rulers in the state on Monday in Ilorin, appealed to them to educate their subjects on the need to maintain peace during and after the general elections.
He said the traditional rulers were brought to the interactive session to rub minds ahead of the elections.
“I want to appeal to royal fathers to go back to their domains and invite leaders of political parties and their supporters and talk to them about peace.
“We must conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after the coming general elections.
“I am sad because our campaign in Kwara has become violent; in December, the news came to me that destruction of campaign billboards was rampant,” he said.
The REC promised the people of the state of his readiness to organise free, fair and credible elections in the state.
“At the end of this year’s elections, not only will the stakeholders applaud them, but the international community will adjudge the elections as the best in the country,” he added.
In his remarks, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who was represented by the Daodu of Fufu, Alhaji Bello Alege, called for the banning of house-to-house campaign in the state.
He said the house-to-house campaign often promoted violence because supporters of candidates normally attacked each other on such occasions.
Also, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, commended INEC for the interactive session.
The Olomu, however, appealed to INEC to organise similar interactive sessions at the local government level.
He promised that he would do his best to sensitise and mobilise the people in his domain on the need to eschew violence during political campaigns.
