Unite against electoral violence, Gbajabiamila urges Nigerians

• Published date: 18 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has urged fellow Nigerians to unite against rising cases of electoral violence across the country.

He noted that the ugly trend poses a threat to the smooth conduct of this year's general election.

The Speaker, who said this on resumption of plenary by the Green Chamber of the National Assembly after the Christmas and New Year break, said the political conversations across the country, particularly in the lead-up to elections, point at the direction of the electoral outcomes and the quality of governance that will result therefrom.

He said the Parliament would pass all Bills currently before the House, especially those with direct positive impact on various aspects of the nation, and transmit same to the President for assent before the expiration of its tenure.

Gbajabiamila said: 'As we approach the general election, there has been a marked increase in incidents of insecurity and vicious attacks on political actors in parts of the country. We must unite to ensure this dangerous trend does not lead to circumstances that threaten the forthcoming elections.

'The quality of the political conversations in society, particularly in the lead-up to elections, is a determining factor in the electoral outcomes and the quality of governance that will result therefrom.

'When political discourse seeks to unite the people behind an agenda of shared prosperity, social development, and respect for the humanity of persons, governance will also reflect these priorities.'

He added: 'When the Ninth House of Representatives was inaugurated in 2019, we hit the ground running to discover and present solutions to our country's problems. Some of our efforts have yielded positive results in some regards; and in other areas, there is still work to do.

'We must resolve to continue to do the people's work despite the obligations and distractions of the political campaign season. As we approach the end of our term in office, I am hopeful that we will continue to meet and exceed expectations in this new year.

'Let us begin this new year with a renewed commitment to legislative action that brings us closer to achieving our highest aspirations for our nation.

'Let us resume with renewed determination to achieve better oversight of government spending priorities through a collaborative effort with the Executive arm of government and civil society. And we remain dedicated to the lofty yet clear ambitions we articulated in our Legislative Agenda when...