Ahead of the November 16, 2019, governorship election in Kogi State, INEC has charged all political parties fielding candidates to conduct transparent primaries and ensure strict adherence to the electoral rules.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Prof. James Apam, gave the charge in Lokoja at a sensitisation workshop organised for chairmen of political parties and Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) members on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
The REC who was represented by the commission’s Administrative Secretary in the state, Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq, advised political parties to follow their set rules and those of the commission to avoid a repeat of what happened in Zamfara during the last elections.
“As monitor, we keep on emphasising for them to follow the rules and regulations. Of course, what happened in Zamfara State is an eye opener.
“We do hope that with the clear decision of the court, the parties must ensure they abide by their existing rules and regulations. A clear signal has been sent to them and I think that will be an eye opener to them,” he said.
The Director of ADR Directorate at INEC Headquarters, Clement Oha, said the workshop was part of the continuous engagements by the commission to provide favourable environment for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
Oha, while expressing optimism that the forthcoming election would be peaceful, urged political party leaders to appeal to the conscience of their followers and political gladiators to avoid acts that would lead to unnecessary conflicts.
Papers delivered at the workshop included “Overview of Alternative Dispute Resolution,” “Understanding Early Warning Signs of Dispute and Conflict in Our Electoral Activities” and “Effective Communication Skills as Tool for Electoral Dispute Resolution.”
