Two opposition parties in the November 16 election, Nigeria Rebuild Party (NRP) and the African Action Congress (AAC), have appealed to security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a level playing field for all political parties participating in the forthcoming election.
Governorship candidates of the two political parties speaking at separate events in Yenagoa urged security agents and electoral officials to reject compromise in the bid to manipulate the elections.
Mrs Charity Godwin, governorship candidate of NRP in an interview at the Police Officers Mess after a stakeholders meeting said while the security agencies are trying their best, INEC should be up and doing to avoid instigating crisis through partisan role.
She advised political parties on the need to caution their supporters not to trigger violence through their utterances or actions before, during and after the elections.
Mrs Godwin said the political parties and not security agencies have major role to play in the success or otherwise of any election because it is supporters of political parties that take to violence.
“The security agencies are trying but we want to appeal to INEC not to comprise. Because you see, in what cases people point accusing fingers at them which means they should check inward. If my vote does not count, it boils down to INEC. Also, most of the violence that occur come about from political parties; so political parties should talk to their supporters, then we would have a peaceful election. Everybody talks about security agencies but political parties are also very important. Political parties have the major role to play to stop violence. INEC and Security agencies should be professional.”
Mr Stanley Kalango of the African Action Congress (AAC), in an interview monitored on Peoples FM said it is erroneous for people to feel there are only two political parties contesting the governorship election.
He dismissed reports that suggest that the other political parties are aligning with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC ahead of the governorship election.
Kalango explained that there are viable political parties including AAC which have good programmes and policies for the people and urged Bayelsans not to be deceived by money to attend big political rallies and mortgage their future for another four years.
“Most of the other political parties are not aligning with any major political party. For our party, AAC, we are in the race to win. Most Bayelsans clamour for the money which means it won’t be possible for the other parties to have the big rallies. We have to disabuse the minds of Nigerians that other parties are out to make the difference with good programmes”, he said.