DELTA State Orientation and Communications Bureau, has commended political parties and their candidates for ensuring peaceful and issues-based campaigns, saying that voter apathy and violence on election day is not foreseeable.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau, Dr. Fred Oghenesivbe, gave the commendation while speaking to newsmen ahead of the July 13 polls, emphasizing the need for leaders, stakeholders and their multi-faceted political structures to sustain the tempo of civilized politicking.
He said focus and resources should consistently be targeted at marketing and projecting the potentials, and manifestos of their chairmanship and councillorship candidates, devoid of name calling, defamatory statements and provocative innuendos, adding that in so doing, “our democracy shall be sustained and developed.”
Oghenesivbe assured that the State Orientation and Communications Bureau will intensify sensitization campaigns through the mass media and other publicity strategies to further emphasize the need for a violence-free and issues-based electioneering campaigns leading to the local government council elections on July 13.
He appealed to all eligible voters in the state to come out on election day to cast their votes for candidates of their choice based on pedigree, integrity, popularity and capacity to deliver on electioneering campaign promises, adding that the local government council elections shall be free, fair and transparent, as assured by Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC.
“So far, so good, the electioneering campaigns have been issues-based, peaceful and very encouraging. This is democracy in action. “We noticed that some political parties are still in their enclaves, not part of the action at all. It is important for all parties to showcase their political relevance through participation in the ongoing electioneering process.
“The State Orientation and Communications Bureau is very impressed about the maturity so far displayed by political parties, candidates and their multif-aceted political structures. “The Bureau Commends all the political parties, and it’s our fervent prayers for the state to experience a peaceful election.
“We have barely two weeks to the local government councils elections across the 25 local government areas, and in all DSIEC Wards. It’s foreseeable that there shall be no voters apathy.
“More importantly, the election umpire, the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, has again and again assured political parties and eligible voters that they will conduct a free, fair and transparent election.
“Deltans are ready to cast their votes and there shall be winners and losers at the end of it all, and that’s the beauty of constitutional democracy,” Oghenesivbe said.
