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For Free, Fair, Credible Election, Edo Youths Must Shun Violence – INEC

Published

5 years ago

August 12, 2020

Editor

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, Dr. Johnson Alalibo, has declared that to deliver free, fair, credible and peaceful election in the state on September 19, the teeming Edo youths must shun violence.

He disclosed that in the last one month, he had not slept, in order for the activities and processes before, during and after the crucial election to be smooth.

Alalibo stated these yesterday as a guest of honour during the “Vote Not Fight Campaign,” organised by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Benin.

He said: “To promote democracy, we must promote peace. In Edo State, we have started seeing untoward activities by political actors and operators.

“The youths are more vulnerable to be used for electoral violence. If we want free, fair, credible and peaceful election in Edo State on September 19, the youths must shun violence during the campaigns and the poll.

“The politicians should avoid offensive language in their jingles and campaigns. To deepen democracy, the election must be devoid of violence.”

The REC of INEC in Edo also urged the security agencies and other stakeholders to continue to support the electoral commission, while lauding NDI for the timely campaign.

Also speaking, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo noted that INEC and security agencies were on hot seat, in order to get the September 19 election right, thereby promoting democracy and moving Nigeria forward.

He, however, called for credible information about criminals and illegal activities from members of the public.

Kokumo, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ayo Faniyan, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), also disclosed that Edo State police command was ready for the election, with the officers and men to be neutral, as always, while admonishing all the stakeholders to join hands to promote democracy.

NDI’s Senior Programme Manager, Bem Aga, in his goodwill message, disclosed that the institute was to promote and strengthen democracy, just as he pleaded with Nigerians particularly Edo residents to vote and not fight, stressing that the crucial election should not be seen as war.

Aga urged politicians not to use the youths for violence, while declaring that the young people should always use their sense, since they represent the future of the society, thereby being at the forefront of advocacy for non-violent elections and to mobilise their peers to ensure peace.

The NDI chief declared that there would not be development without peace and that nobody would benefit from violence, while calling on Edo residents, especially the youths, to choose peace and stay away from violence, hate speech, misinformation, disinformation and fake news that could lead to violence.

In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative, Prince Israel Orekha, noted that the organisation decided to partner NDI to ensure violence-free September 19 election in Edo.

He said: “Electoral violence has remained a major concern for the people of Edo State, since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. Competing political interests have been consistent with their approach of recruiting Edo youths to settle political scores.

“With just a month to the September 19 off-cycle governorship election in Edo State, many people have reasons to fear that the election may not be peaceful.

“Government-related challenges like high unemployment, underemployment and poverty rates have made many Nigerian youths disillusioned and unwilling to participate in political and electoral processes. These need to be corrected through civic and voter education.”

Orekha also reiterated that Nigeria’s youths had been victims and perpetrators of electoral violence over the years, while declaring that youth supporters of the leading governorship candidates in Edo state had been complicit in the acts of violence committed so far.

News

N200b Agric Credit Dispute: Appeal Court Slams NAIC, Upholds First Bank Victory

Published

13 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) against First Bank of Nigeria in the long-running dispute over the disbursement of the Federal Government’s N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

The decision was one of seven precedent-setting judgments delivered in six hours on Friday by Justice Okon Abang, underscoring his reputation as a hardworking, firm, and uncompromisingly principled jurist whose rulings continue to shape Nigeria’s legal landscape across criminal, human rights, banking, and civil litigation.

In 2013, the NAIC dragged First Bank before the Federal High Court via originating summons, alleging that the bank failed to deduct the mandatory 2.5 per cent premium under the agriculture credit scheme. First Bank promptly filed a counter-affidavit and written address, with both sides joining issues and exchanging further processes over the years.

But when the case was ripe for hearing, NAIC sought to suddenly withdraw its suit—claiming an unnamed Bankers’ Committee representative had approached it for an out-of-court settlement.

First Bank objected, insisting that once pleadings had been exchanged, withdrawal without consent should lead to dismissal, not a mere striking out. To strike out, the bank argued, would allow NAIC a second bite at the cherry—an abuse of process.

The Federal High Court agreed and dismissed the suit, prompting NAIC to head to the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Abang held that NAIC’s appeal was “grossly misconceived” and that, having seen the bank’s defence, NAIC attempted to retreat and re-strategise, “only being smart, believing that it could cunningly manipulate judicial proceedings to save a suit that appears weak and manifestly unsupported.”

He stressed that, once a defendant’s counter-affidavit has been served, any withdrawal by the claimant must naturally lead to dismissal, not striking out, to avoid overreaching the respondent.

Justice Abang agreed with the trial court that, “Since issues have been joined and the matter has previously been adjourned on several occasions, the proper order to make on the application of the plaintiff is to dismiss the suit.”

The Court of Appeal also questioned NAIC’s reliance on an alleged intervention by the Bankers’ Committee—a non-party that had earlier resisted being joined in the matter.

The appellate court concluded that NAIC, having sighted the bank’s counter-affidavit, simply lost confidence in its case and sought a “soft landing” to refile later.

News

Nigeria Records One Of Africa’s Widest Gaps In Policy Reputation Index

Published

13 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has been identified as one of the African nations suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, a finding described as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent, according to the inaugural RPI African Policy Index 2025 released by Reputation Poll International (RPI).

The comprehensive Index, which evaluates governance and policy performance across all 54 African countries, places Nigeria in the middle tier of “Strugglers” with an overall score of 52.3. This category reflects nations that achieve partial policy results but fail to earn public confidence.

Drawing from hard data on policy implementation and perception surveys involving over 25,000 Africans, the report shows that Nigeria records one of the continent’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence.

The report flags Nigeria alongside South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe as countries with the most severe mismatches.

In Nigeria, anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement.

Similar patterns exist across these nations, where oil wealth, infrastructure spending, and progressive legislation do not convince ordinary citizens that governments genuinely serve their interests. This trust deficit is highlighted as Africa’s core governance challenge.

The Index emphasises that without deliberate measures to close the gap—through transparent data, citizen audits, and visible accountability—policy ambitions alone cannot produce stable or legitimate outcomes.

By contrast, a small group of nations scoring above 70 demonstrate that world-class governance is achievable when delivery is matched by citizen belief.

Mauritius leads with 78.9, followed by Seychelles at 76.4, Cabo Verde at 74.8, and Botswana at 73.2. These countries excel because strong economic management, high vaccination rates, transparent institutions, and consistent progress in education and digital reforms are reinforced by equally high public trust.

Botswana and Mauritius succeed not because they are wealthy, but because they systematically include citizens in monitoring and feedback, narrowing the trust deficit to near zero.

Over half of Africa, however, remains far from this standard. The Strugglers tier (50–69.9) encompasses 30 countries, while 18 “Systemic Challengers” score below 50, from Sierra Leone at 49.2 to South Sudan at 28.4.

In these countries, structural breakdowns, chronic insecurity, and collapsed legitimacy produce average Trust Gaps of 35 points, undermining even modest policy efforts amid daily experiences of violence and exclusion.

Central Africa records the lowest regional average at 41.2, while Southern Africa dominates the top tier. West, East, and North Africa deliver mixed results.

For Nigerian leadership, the Index sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. As the country grapples with debt, youth unemployment, and climate pressures, bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.

The RPI African Policy Index 2025 stands as both a warning and a roadmap: unless the trust deficit is addressed, Africa’s governance crisis will only deepen.
(GUARDIAN)