Press Release - 2015 Polls: Council of the Wise charges media and other stakeholders on peaceful elections.

Barely one week to the 2015 national elections, some eminent Nigerians under the aegis of the Savannah Centre ‘Council of the Wise’ Panel have urged all electoral stakeholders to embrace peace and shun unnationalistic agenda in order to ensure free, fair and credible polls which will enhance Nigeria’s democracy and development..
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, recently, the coordinator of the Council, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and founder of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, said that the responsibility of delivering free, fair and transparent polls lies with all stakeholders. .
‘Everyone will be a looser if there are no credible, free and fair elections. INEC alone cannot guarantee free and fair election. They are just the referee, so everyone has a role to play’..
Gambari charged the media to live up its expectation of upholding public truth and social justice and refrain from being partisan..
“One of the things we are particular about is the avoidance of hate speeches and incitement. And that is why the role of the media in the run up to the election is very critical. The media should not allow themselves to be used for destabilization and to provoke violence.’.
“The role of the media is to get candidates to address issues and not to use their role to promote hate speech of any kind” he said..
A member of the Council, Professor George Obiozor” stressed that the conduct of peaceful and transparent polls will enhance Nigeria’s democracy and development while earning the country more respect within the global community..
“Peaceful election is in everybody’s interest. For the politician it is important that the election is credible, for citizens, it is important that it is legitimate, free and fair; and for the nation it promotes the dignity of the nation and promotes development.”.
In achieving its mandate of promoting peaceful polls, the Council of the Wise has held series of engagements with various electoral stakeholders across the country including former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari; INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega; National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; Governors of Niger, Sokoto, Adamawa and Lagos as well as key traditional and religious leaders..
The ‘Council of the Wise’ Panel on the 2015 General Elections is a 9-person committee of eminent Nigerians constituted by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, with representation across various sectors and the six geopolitical zones of the country..
The Council is chaired by the Former Chief Justice of the Nigeria, Honourable Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais with Professor Ibrahim Gambari, CFR as the Principal Coordinator. Other members of the Council include: Sheikh Ahmed Abubakar Lemu, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Ms. Joke Silva, Ambassador Brownson Dede, Professor George Obiozor, Professor Agwu Okali and Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari.


Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Wasiu Onidugbe Mukhtar Shagaya Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi Ilorin General Hospital Gbemisola Oguntimehin Yusuf Badmus Abioye Bello Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria Sidikat Alaya Charcoal Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners Muhammad Toyin Sanusi Cornelius Adebayo BECE Saheed Alakoso Labaeka Yakubu Dogara Saadu Yusuf Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd Abdulrahman Abdulrazak Olokoba Sulyman Saka Abimbola Isau Bankole Omisore General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin Abubakar Abdulraheem Ahmad Ali Umar Gunu Yaman Ilorin South Garba Ayodele Wahab Abegunde Goke Doyin Group Ilofa Shettima Of Ilorin Ibrahim Gambari Oke-Ogun Jumoke Gafar Kwara 2015 Aiyedun General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport NaAllah Awodun IQRA College New Nigeria People’s Party Mufti Of Ilorin Kola Bukoye Tinubu Adekunle David Dunmade Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission Ilorin Like-Minds Quranic Recitation Competition Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede Dele Momodu Abubakar Usman Jos Kwara Hotel Muhammadu Buhari Kwara State Branch Of The National Library Opolo Global Innovation Limited Waziri Yakubu Gobir Saliu Ajia Eghe Igbinehi Adegoke Bamidele Afeyin-Olukuta Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa Theophilus Oyebiyi Kayode Bankole IPSAS Monthly Sanitation International Public Sector Accounting Standards Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs Yusuf Zulu-Gambari Tosho Yaqub Sunday Otokiti ASUU Tsaragi/Share Igbomina

