NGO cautions against vote-buying, violence ahead of Ekiti guber poll

By Boye Oyeyemi

The National Peace Committee, an independent non-governmental organisation based in Nigeria, has raised concerns over vote-buying and the growing rate of insecurity in Ekiti State ahead of the June 20 gubernatorial election, while urging stakeholders to prioritise peaceful conduct during the poll.

While addressing participants at a three-day stakeholders’ validation forum in Ado, the State’s capital, the committee’s Project Manager, Asabe Ndahi, said conflict prevention remained essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic process.

Amid calling on security agencies to take proactive measures against kidnapping and interpersonal violence, Ndahi noted that the rising rate of insecurity could discourage voter participation and weaken electoral credibility.

He further explained that the stakeholders’ validation forum was aimed at strengthening local ownership of electoral risk assessments while generating practical strategies to prevent violence before, during and after the election.

Speaking at the event, the committee’s Senior Programmes Manager, Esrom Ajanya, warned that vote-buying had always undermined democratic participation, describing the trend as “a driver of transactional politics and declining civic engagement”.

Ajanya disclosed that voter turnout in Ekiti elections had dropped from over 50 per cent in 2014 to below 37 per cent in 2022, attributing the decline to public distrust in political institutions, economic hardship and growing dissatisfaction among voters.

The three-day forum which was organised through the Kukah Centre with support from the European Union, brought together various notable personalities including security operatives, political leaders, civil society personnel, traditional rulers, faith leaders, media practitioners and community representatives.