By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
POLITICAL Parties and institutional stakeholders in the electoral process have been urged to address all forms of early warning signs that could trigger violence in the up coming November 11, off-circle Governorship Election in Kogi State.
Search for Common Ground Nigeria (SFCG), an international peace-building Non-Governmental Organisation made the call at a programmed Dialogue With Stakeholders In Kogi State at Saatof Hotel and Suites, Lokoja.
Fatima Madaki, SFCG Head of National Projects made the call in her opening remarks at the meeting said the NGO was working to end violent conflict and build healthy, safe and just societies in Nigeria and 33 other countries around the world.
She said that the meeting was aimed at mitigating Hate Speech, during electioneering campaigns and as well, address issues of fake news, misinformation and disinformation that could effect the smooth conduct of the election.
The aim, she added, also included promotion and maintenance of election values before, during and after the November 11, governorship election.
According to her, the organization is involved in the seven off-circle governorship elections in the country with a view to ensuring peace at all levels of the process.
Madaki noted that SFCG was involved in several peace building initiatives saying that its package included building community security architecture through three platforms.
“We are operating in seven off-circle election states. We have a joint initiative of strategic religious engagement that is being implemented in plateau and Kaduna working with religious leaders to address issues around freedom of religion or belief.
“We have been promoting peace around freedom of religion or belief which is a nationwide early warning, early response project around freedom of religion or belief”, she said.
Earlier, Mr Perry Tukuwei, Project Coordinator in the organization while speaking on “Sustaining Electoral Engagements for Democracy Project” said SFCG was primarily in the state to partner relevant stakeholders to ensure rancour free conduct of the guber election.
He said that intervention would be in the areas of Election Conflict Dynamics and proffering solutions to them with issues of Misinformation, Hate Speech and mitigation strategies.
Tukuwei revealed that factors that induce electoral violence with focus on particular dynamics in Kogi State and solutions as well as challenges women face in electoral processes formed their intervention focal areas.
Mr Tosin Adebayo, a consultant with the SFCG on Early Warning and Early Response Systems (EWER) in his virtual presentation underscored the need to identify early warning signals of electoral violence or other malpractices and address them before November 11.
Adebayo said the CSO had embarked on mapping of the state to enable coordinated engagement of stakeholders including security agencies in addressing identified triggers of conflicts before they metamorphose into electoral violence.
