In the history of elections in Nigeria, states in the Niger Delta region have never witnessed elections devoid of violence. From Ondo State to Cross River State and from Delta State to Akwa Ibom State, the story is the same.
Several people, mostly youths have lost their lives and others maimed as a result of violence before, during and after elections in the nine states that make up the region.
This ugly development has forced the international community, especially, the European Union (EU), the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands, to pay special attention to election in states in the region.
Although elections, especially gubernatorial elections in some of the state, the international community has continuously initiated moves to ensure violence-free election in the state, by meeting critical stakeholders and signing of peace accord by the political gladiators.
Before the 2015 general election, such peace accords were signed by political parties, represented by their respective governorship candidates in each of the states.
However, the so-called peace accord yielded no meaningful fruits as none of the political parties and their candidates appear to have obeyed the accord.
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In Rivers State for instance, several people were killed, with some beheaded before, during and after the 2015 general election by politically-sponsored cult groups. Journalists and other media practitioners were not spared the assault.
The campaign rally of one of the political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Okrika in Okrika local government area of Rivers State was disrupted by gun-wielding youngmen, leading to the death of a policeman.
As the 2019 general election approaches, the international community has began meeting with governors and opposition leaders in the nine states in the Niger Delta region, aimed at ensuring peaceful elections.
However, it is not yet clear if the political gladiators in the state would allow peace to reign during the polls.
It is therefore our appeal to political parties and their leaders to abide by their promises of allowing a violence-free election in 2019 by stopping to arm youths with guns and other dangerous weapons.
We also appeal to them to know that election is not war and therefore should allow the choice of the masses or most popular candidates to emerge, instead of manipulating the process.
A violence-free election in states in the Niger Delta region will not only bring peace to the region but will also bring back multinational oil companies that have moved their head offices out of the region.
