By Our Reporter
Ahead of the March 2023 gubernatorial election across the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has set aside three days for townhall meetings with gubernatorial candidates of different political parties.
The townhall meetings which run between 1st and 3rd of February will cover 18 states. The states include; Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Niger, Delta, Rivers, Nassarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara and Bauch.
In a statement by the NHRC, Deputy Director Public Affairs, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, the Commission will be organising the town hall in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations, United Nations System in Nigeria and the Media. This is targeted at making human rights issues part of the election discussion, improving citizens’ participation in the general elections, deepening our democracy and the overall safety of citizens before, during after the elections.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN) said, the townhall will provide an opportunity for governorship candidates of all the political parties in the country to highlight their plans and views on key issues of promotion and protection of human rights of citizens in their respective states.
According to Ojukwu, since the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of citizens, it is important to engage governorship candidates to clearly state what they have to offer to the people, particularly their plan on human rights protection. It is important to extract commitments from these candidates to close the widening gap in healthcare services, education, food security, potable water, sanitation, electricity, good road networks, brutality and impunity, civil protests and most importantly, the shrinking of civic space etc.
The NHRC Boss said that the effort is a part of the larger project, Mobilising Voters for Election (MOVE) designed to improve the overall electoral process in the country.
It would be recalled that a similar event was held for presidential candidates on the December 10, 2022.
Ojukwu notes that as elections draw near, political parties and their candidates should focus their campaign on human rights issues and not hate speeches, while presenting their manifestos to Nigerians. “This will further serve as a self-assessment of the commitment to social contract of democracy”, the Executive Secretary added.
