2face counsels youths against violence ahead of Ekiti poll

Popular musician, Innocent Idibia, has urged Ekiti youths not to lend themselves as tools for violence and anarchy in the July 14 governorship poll.

Idibia, whose stage name is 2Baba, said the youths should contribute meaningfully to democratic process by voting for candidates of their choice and also serve as advocates for peace in their localities.

The entertainer spoke at a Town Hall meeting in Ado-Ekiti tagged “Vote, Not Fight, Election No Be War” organized by a civil society organization, the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD).

The parley was staged in collaboration with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKAID), the 2Baba Foundation and Youngstars Foundation.

2Baba who addressed Ekiti youths drawn from the 16 local government areas in his capacity as the Vote, Not Fight Campaign Ambassador said election violence was capable of truncating the youth’s potentials to be useful citizens to the fatherland.

He said: “Political campaigns are supposed to be competition of ideas and policies between different political parties, many at times, it results in violence and pandemonium.

“Due to electoral violence, many youths have lost their lives. We must work together to prevent needless loss of lives before, during and after elections by condemning violence and promoting peaceful electioneering processes.

“Youths have a critical role to play in ensuring this happens because they are often the target of sponsors of violence during elections.

“The legitimacy of government is dependent on peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

“I and the Vote Not Fight team will be meeting with different political actors to remind them of this and they will do everything necessary to ensure that their supporters are orderly and peaceful before, during and after the July 14, 2018 polls.”

NIGAWD Executive Director, Abimbola Aladejare, said the youths are being sensitized in all the local government areas on the need to embrace peace at the election.

She charged the youths who attended the town hall meeting to go to their various communities and spread the message.

The state police spokesman, Caleb Ikechukwu, said the command was ready to protect lives and property before, during and after the election.

Ikechukwu warned the youths against being used to cause mayhem noting that they have the potentials to rise to the highest office in the country.