The Abuja accord on non-violence campaigns

This laudable move comes on the heels of a similar admonition by ex-minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, on the need for politicians to sign a code of conduct before the elections. The voluntary signing of this “agreement in principle” for peaceful and violence-free elections, otherwise known as the “Abuja Accord”, is indeed timely. […]

This laudable move comes on the heels of a similar admonition by ex-minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, on the need for politicians to sign a code of conduct before the elections. The voluntary signing of this “agreement in principle” for peaceful and violence-free elections, otherwise known as the “Abuja Accord”, is indeed timely. Just as Mr Annan rightly observed, the 2015 February polls are part of the three major challenges that Nigeria faces at the moment; the other two being the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and the collapse of oil prices in the international market. How the country navigates this complex triumvirate of challenges will define to a large extent the stability of the country and indeed the West African region in the next few years.
It is trite to say that elections in most parts of Africa and indeed Nigeria are often seen as war by other means. Hence participants and supporters in the electoral process employ all sorts of foul means and at times outright subversion of the electoral process or electoral body. These have often led to violence and instability, making some scholars aver that often times elections and electoral cycles doesn’t solve national problems but rather exacerbate them, particularly in pluralistic and underdeveloped societies.
In the light of these, the February general elections may be regarded as a make or mar process. Hence the onus is on all stakeholders, especially INEC to ensure that the process from start to finish is credible and transparent. History tells us that a covert or overt bungling of the electoral process is one major factor which causes electoral violence such that political gladiators might not be able to control. It is also imperative that state actors in Nigeria begin to take a second look at the Mohammed Lawal Uwais Report on Electoral Reforms in Nigeria, with a view to implementing the recommendations, as that because it offers a panaceas that can minimise electoral irregularities and douse electoral tension and violence in the long run.
Babs Iwalewa <[email protected]>;;@babsiwalewa