Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) has called on citizen groups in Kogi state to be courageous and bold in demanding for accountability and transparency in election processes.
The call was made at a one-day multi-stakeholder engagement organized by CHRCR in Kogi West senatorial district on integrity and community ownership in the fight against corruption at the state level ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election.
The programme had in attendance community based artisan, women, youth and religious groups as well as hunters association, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
In the communiqué issued at the end of the dialogue held at Charvid Hotel in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu local government area of Kogi state and signed by the executive director of CHRCR, Comrade Idris Miliki Abdul urged Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to live above board in the discharge of the statutory functions.
According to the communique, despite the short time before the November 11th 2023 governorship elections, INEC is yet to implement a robust engagement with citizens especially at the grassroot levels as many citizens do not fully understand how to engage the electoral process.
The communique expressed concerns that campaigns for the upcoming November governorship election in the state have begun on primordial sentiments rather than being issue-based.
The participants called on political parties and their respective candidates to adhere strictly to issues based campaign and shun divisive tendencies.
They noted that there were still concerns about the integrity of the 2020 local government elections and its attendant effects on governance at state level as the results of that elections are still not known to the citizens.
