‘Vote To Stay Alive,’ Bishop Kukah Tells Edo Voters

‘Vote To Stay Alive,’ Bishop Kukah Tells Edo Voters

The Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Mathew Kukah, on Sunday called on Edo electorates to vote to stay alive.

He made the call on Channels Television’s Edo Election Security Townhall, six days before the off-cycle governorship poll in the Niger Delta State.

“Let’s vote to stay alive,” he said amid concerns that violence could mar the exercise slated for September 21. “Let’s hope and pray that nobody would lose his life.”

“Our hope and prayer is that democracy will continue to offer us the opportunities that it has promised and that Nigerians will sign on to a peaceful country, democratic process.”

Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, also commended security agents and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who put in their best to entrench democracy in the country.

He noted that some of the electoral officials and security operatives lose their lives while in active service, acknowledging the hazards they face.

The Peace Committee Convener called on Nigerians to support security agents and admonished public officials to serve the masses diligently.

Averted Violence In 2015 Poll

During the programme, Kukah recalled the tension that gripped many Nigerians in the build up to the 2015 general elections.

The two major players in the then-presidential election were Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party and Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonathan later lost to Buhari and conceded defeat by placing a call to congratulate the retired Major General.

Kukah however noted that the Peace Committee averted what could have been a major violence that would have led to the loss of several lives.

He also eulogised the roles played by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.

“It is important to have an idea about how the Peace Committee came about. I keep hearing people saying that the Peace Committee has been with us and electoral violence has not stopped.

“Somehow people think that because the Peace Committee exists, there should no longer be any election that are free and fair.

“To go back, some of us may remember the 2015 election. One of the key players was Kofi Annan, they took particular interest in Nigeria’s 2015 elections,” he stated.