By ANGELA ATABO
ABUJA- Ready to Lead Africa, a civil society organisation, on Thursday led political actors and youths to sign a national Youth-led Presidential Peace Accord to shun electoral violence ahead of the General Elections.
The electoral stakeholders pledged to commit to during elections at a National Peace Dialogue 2023, organised by Ready to Lead Africa under its peace building project Youth Against Electoral Violence Accord (YAEVA) in Abuja.
Mr Godbless Otubure, Global President, Ready to Lead Africa, said that the group work to lead an ecosystem of young leaders who are interested in advancing democracy, civic tech platforms that helps improve citizens participation in the democratic process.
Otubure said that the goal is to bring young people who are the most affected during violence into the forefront of the peace process.
“The move is necessary because youths are the people who carry or snatch ballot box people, carry guns and fight during elections.
“Now, when candidates come together to sign for peace, the assumption is that you are not going to instigate the young people to violence.
“The young people are saying, we don’t want to fight for you, we don’t want to fight anyone because of politics.
“So that puts us the youths at the forefront of the peace process.
“That way, when other youths who are thinking of going into violent conduct see that youths are the ones leading the process, they will begin to think twice and say if these are young people who are leading the process, I can be like them.’’
Otubure expressed confidence that the politicians would abide by the peace accord for free fair and credible polls and sustainable democracy.
Dr. Garba Abar, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), commended Ready to Lead Africa for initiating a platform to make electoral stakeholders commit to peaceful elections.
“What this is all saying is that the young people of this country have wished to do more, they have shown that they are ready to participate in the political process and to take on government race.
“We are happy to see this happen, elections in Nigeria are very important events and that is why the whole world is focusing attention on Nigeria’s elections.
“Young people present a very inquisitive statistics of registered voters and now we are waiting for Feb. 25 and March to exercise our votes.’’
Abar said with the commitment from youths to shun violence, and not work for any politician against the nation to snatch ballot boxes, among others, the elections would turnout credible.
The FCT Minister of State, Hajiya Ramatu Tijani, represented by Ms Asabe Umar, Director, Youth and Social Development, said it was a great move to have youths being used to perpetrate violence take such a stand.
Tijani said this decision marked a landmark in Nigeria’s election and commended Ready to Lead Africa for the initiative.
“Ensure that there is peace before, during and after elections, peace is what will keep Nigeria. Without peace, we will have rotten harvest like banditry, insurgency and so on.
“Thank God for this programme, keep doing your good work and planting the tree of peace,’’ she said.
Mr Hamzat Lawal, Executive Director, Connected Development, said that the event proved that the elections would not be business as usual for supporters of violence.
“We are excited that young people are the ones at the forefront of the no violence election drive.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that political parties were on ground to sign the peace accord and those absent would do the signing on a latter date.
Highlights of the event was the inauguration of the National peace symbol designed to promote peace by major stakeholders from the government, political parties, youths, traditional rulers, and security agencies, among others. (NAN)