A youth coalition has charged political gladiators and all stakeholders involved in the 2019 General elections to be of good conduct and not disrupt the relative peace the nation enjoys as electorates proceed to choose their leaders and representatives.

Nigeria Youth 4 Peace Initiative (NY4PI), a network of youth-led peace building organisations coordinated by Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BB4Peace) at a deliberation in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, observed that some youths might have been hoodwinked and empowered by politicians to taking up arms to provide support and cause mayhem in case the candidates of their choice do not emerge, opining that the condemnable act of some party members at the political rally in Lagos, Sokoto, Kwara recently is an early warning sign to what is in stock if adequate measures are not put in place.

Mr Rafiu Adeniran Lawal, the National Coordinator of the coalition, charged youths, who constitute over 50 per cent of the registered voters, to constructively engage all candidates and avoid any activity whether in utterance or action, overtly or otherwise that may hinder the peaceful conduct of the elections and put the nation in disarray.

The coordinator, while commending political parties and candidates for limiting their campaigns to public welfare-related issues and not on divisionist tendencies such as ethnicity and religion seen hitherto in previous elections recommended that this must be maintained during and after elections as doing otherwise, may plunge the nation into violence and war.

Rafiu, therefore, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Security agencies to be neutral and impartial and avoid any act that can bring the umpires integrity and the credibility of the elections in doubt.

Owing to the growing tensions in some parts of the country, Mr Rafiu emphasized that the same way elections sow the seeds for good governance and democratic participation provided it is properly managed, it can as well result in large scale political violence if not conducted properly as seen in neighbouring countries recently.

NY4PI then charged all International and local stakeholders especially UN entities in Nigeria, diplomatic missions, the National Peace Committee, media, religious bodies, civil society to continue to ensure that the elections are free and fair and that perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions.

“Peaceful elections solidify democratic processes in all countries, and Nigeria is not an exception. All eyes are on us and the rest of the continent is expecting the outcome of the coming election. If it falls short of free and fair properties, an indelible dent is cast on us, the giant of Africa,” he said.