Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed, Benue state governor Samuel Ortom, Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Dr. Ahmed Audi and the Commissioner for Information and Voter Education for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Barr, Festus Okoye, among others will gather on Tuesday, 22nd November 2022 to discuss how to achieve a violent-free elections next year.
Others expected at the annual roundtable organised by the PlatinumPost News include: the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Maj. Hamza Mustapha (rtd), Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) and other stakeholders in the electoral process.
In a statement signed Wednesday in Abuja by the Chief Executive Officer of the PlatinumPost News, Mr. Edwin Olofu, said the annual roundtable is designed to contribute meaningfully to the process leading to a free, fair, credible and violent-free elections in 2023.
The statement said Governor Umar Ganduje will chair the occasion, Governor Bala Muhammed and Governor Samuel Ortom are the Guest Speakers, while Maj. Al-Mustapha is expected to deliver a keynote address on the theme: “Contemporary Security Challenges & its Effects on 2023 Elections.”
The organiser said the INEC, Police IG, NSCDC boss, IPAC, CSO, International Republican Institute (IRI) and the NUJ will discuss the papers and use the occasion to speak on their preparations for the 2023 elections.
According to Olofu, there are contemporary security challenges Nigerian government and her people need to make concerted efforts to curb so as to ensure a peaceful exercise before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.
“As a media organisation, we have invited key stakeholders in the election process to come and share with Nigerians their efforts and preparations towards the 2023 elections. We have also invited some Chief Executives to share their experiences in their various states and put forward suggestions on how to end some of the contemporary security challenges the Nation is facing.”
Speaking on the choice of Governor Ganduje as the chairman of the occasion, Olofu said: “The governor came to mind as a result of his outstanding performance piloting the affairs of the most populous and peaceful state in the North-west geopolitical zone of Nigeria, the giant strides achieved in the socio-economic development of the state and his ability to ensure the peaceful co-existence of the citizenry have remained a reference point.”
For the Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed, the statement said his media appearances before the primary election of his party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he spoke extensively about problems bedeviling the country and proffered well-thought out solutions qualified him to speak at the roundtable.
The Platinum Post also said Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state is invited to share his experiences on the security challenges in his state and the way forward.
“As a key member of the opposition party in the country and the governor of Benue state which is at the receiving end of the security challenges, the governor’s input on ensuring the peaceful conduct of the 2023 General Elections would be of immense benefit to Nigerians,” the statement said.
