April 14, (THEWILL) – As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) holds supplementary elections across the country on Saturday, the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called on Nigerians in the areas slated for the polls to conduct themselves peacefully and eschew violence and any act prejudicial to orderly electoral processes.
INEC will conduct supplementary governorship elections in Adamawa and Kebbi states, five senatorial districts, and 31 federal and 58 state assembly constituencies across the federation.
Tinubu said the supplementary election is as important as the first set of elections, the Presidential and National Assembly poll held on February 25 and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election organized on March 18.
He said, “As the last leg of the 2023 general election, we must ensure that the electoral processes are brought to a final, peaceful conclusion.
“I urge all Nigerians in areas where the additional polls will take place to eschew violence and conduct themselves in an orderly and peaceful manner.
“We should desist from acts prejudicial to the conduct of orderly polls or that will threaten the very existence of the country. It’s only when there is a country that aspirants to political offices can have seats to contest for and the electorate has people seeking their votes.”
He said like the INEC officers, the candidates and the electorate, therefore, have a solemn responsibility in the election.
“They must ensure that the additional polls are conducted not only freely and fairly, but also devoid of tension, acrimony and violence that will threaten the very fabric that holds the country together.
“I must also use this opportunity to enjoin my All Progressives Congress members and the teeming supporters in the areas listed for the polls to come out in their large numbers to cast their votes for the party’s candidates.
“Our party members and supporters should vote overwhelmingly for APC to complement and solidify the victory we recorded in the earlier polls. This will no doubt help in the effective functioning of government at the federal and state levels for the benefit of our people.
“On this note, I wish INEC, all voters in the various polling units in these elections, the candidates and parties involved a very successful supplementary poll,” Tinubu said.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
