Group calls for all elections to hold on a day

A socio-political and good governance advocacy group, The Compatriots, has canvassed that all elections in the country be held the same day.

This, it believed, is a “safer option in the light of potential consequential threats to security”.

Chairman of the group and former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, stated this in a statement on Friday.

“We strongly believe that there is merit in considering the option of holding all the elections in one day. While acknowledging that this will pose some challenges to the management of the elections, we consider it a safer option in the light of potential consequential threats to security,” the statement reads.

Obong Attah cautioned Nigerians against making utterances that would heat up the polity and stoke violence in the build-up to the exercise.

He called for prompt and decisive handling of issues that could derail the conduct of the forthcoming general elections.

He said: “The Compatriots have observed with concem preparations and timelines for the forthcoming national and state elections.

“We reiterate our earlier statement that these elections must hold at all cost and must be credible. All actual and perceived threats to the elections must therefore be handled promptly and decisively. Current difficulties facing citizens represent threats to the elections.

“Rhetoric and statements which inflame passions should be avoided by all. In particular, comments that suggest that the democratic elections must end with their candidate’s victory should be condemned”.