Bwari: Traders call for peaceful rerun polls
Bwari: Traders call for peaceful rerun polls
Peace
By Veronica Dariya
Bwari (Abuja) March 21, 2019 (NAN) Some traders in Bwari Area Council, FCT, have appealed to stakeholders to ensure peaceful conduct of the rerun elections scheduled to hold in some parts of the area council on Saturday.
The traders made this appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had scheduled to hold the rerun elections in some of the affected polling units in the area after the declaration of the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections of March 9 as inconclusive.
INEC rescheduled the election due to violence that erupted and led to the cancellation of results at 17 polling units, including an entire 12 polling units of Kawu Ward of the district.
Mr Ali Mallam, a meat seller in the Isuwa Zamayi Market, said the peace of the town remained paramount to the entire district.
“Whatever must be done must be peaceful, because this town is already sitting on a time bomb since 2017.
“If at the end of the elections losers refuse to accept defeat and can’t control their supporters, this might affect this town.
“Henceforth, I mean even before the rerun of the elections, politicians and their supporters should be cautioned against any form of violence.
“They should please consider the ordinary citizens that just want to do their business and earn living with their families.’’
Sola Obadiran, another resident, also called for peaceful polls, saying “let’s have a peaceful process please, so that we can forge ahead and make progress.”
Similarly, another trader, Usman Yahaya called on the government at all levels to “put all hands on the deck to monitor the process in order to make it peaceful and successful.
“The politicians should stop being selfish, they should not think of their interests only; they should also think of others and how their actions might affect the society at large.
“Without a peaceful society, governance would be unproductive and development may either be slow or not available at all.’’
Mrs Doris Oyelola, who sells baby items, called on security agents to impute serious effort to ensure that the rerun election is uninterrupted and peaceful.
“There is need for security agents to ensure that measures are put in place to secure lives and property during and after the elections.
“Although, the town is still on a 10p.m to 5p.m curfew daily since 2018, it is important for the security agents to ensure tight security so that lives and property would be secured.’’
She also called on the electorate to cast their votes with wisdom, while also advising that they stay away from any form of trouble.
“If as a voter you have cast your vote, don’t bother staying around the polling units that is why we have the party agents and observers who will ensure that your vote counts.
“However, our prayer is for the elections to end well and the looser should congratulate the winner, so that we can continue to enjoy peace in the area council,” she said.
NAN reports that the affected areas scheduled for the rerun as announced by the INEC are the entire 12 polling units in Kawu Ward.
Others are the two units in Dakwa and Public Place unit, Kubwa ward, one unit at Gidan Bawaunder, Dutsen-Alhaji ward and one unit at LEA Primary School at Igu ward. (NAN)
DVK//OYE/AFA
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Felix Ajide