…As cleric warns youths against violence, hooliganism
The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) has commenced a training programme for 141 facilitators that will participate in the conduct of the November 18 local government election in the state.
The electoral body is organising the three-day training programme in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES).
The facilitators are made up of academics and people from other fields of human endeavours.
This is even as a cleric, Pastor Segun Olawale of Divine Favour Chapel, Ilorin, warned youths against violence and hooliganism in the local government election in the state.
Declaring the training open, the Chairman of KWAlSIEC, Dr Usman Ajidagba, restated the commitment of the commission to conducting free, fair and credible election.
Ajidagba said the facilitators had experience in various fields of human endeavours and expressed optimism that they would be able to subsequently train the other ad-hoc staff for the poll.
Earlier, the representative of the IFES, Mr Array Jah, said the foundation is organising the training programme for the facilitators to ensure the successful conduct of the election.
Jah said the foundation has been rendering such support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other state electoral commissions to enhance the conduct of elections in the country.
In a related development, Pastor Olawale, who warned youths against violence and hooliganism spoke in Ilorin while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying that youths must say no to violence as election draws near.
He said youths must not allow themselves to be used as thugs to scatter polling units during election.
The cleric also advised them to shun violence and be disciplined, “Youths must be seen as symbol of peace. They should go out to use their thumb to elect their favourite representatives instead of being lured into violence by politicians.
“Youths must not turn themselves into violence tool. Politicians don’t worth sacrificing life for. Pursue your dream and shun violence,” he said.
The cleric, however, advised politicians to accept whatever may be the outcome of the election.
“Politics should not be a do or die affair as thought by many politicians. We must learn to accept defeat and work together for the growth of the society,” the pastor said.
NAN recalls that according to the state electoral timetable, the election would hold on November 18.
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