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.
Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat Taiwo Joseph Ibraheem Abdullateef Asa Aminu Adisa Logun Kemi Adeosun Cornelius Adebayo Abdullahi AbdulMajeed Ayekale Hassan A. Saliu Shuaib Olarongbe Hakeem Lawal Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development Bio Ibrahim John Mayokun Dada Shade Omoniyi Bayo Onimago Jamila Bio Ibrahim Kawu Baraje Oasis Muslim Care Foundation Toyin Sanusi Fulani KwaraLearn Kishira Naira Redesign Tanke Road Gambari Col. Adedipe Bond Babatunde Ishola Babaita NFAI Sola Saraki University Seni Saraki Ishak Mohammed Sabi Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede Joseph Bamigboye Ayo Adeyemi Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi Laolu Saraki Magaji Are Ishaq Oloyede Nigerian Medical Association Flights To Ilorin Labaeka Tsado Manman Alimi Abdulrazaq Prince Mahe Abdulkadir Tunde Oyawoye Riskat Opakunle Moji Makanjuola Abdulahi Abubakar Bata Government High School (GHS), Adeta Omu-aran Ilorin Airport Press Release NaAllah Okasanmi Ajayi Sulyman Buhari Saheed Popoola Sodiya Bashiru Makama Alanamu Amuda Aluko Owu Fall C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng Special Agro-Industrial Hub Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan Balogun Gambari Okin Biscuits Kwara Metro Park Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP) KWTV Ola Falade Kanu Agabi Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road

