Group Stages Walk For Violent-Free Guber Election In Anambra State

With weeks to the Anambra State governorship election, concerns over possible violence have continued to draw attention.

In response, peace advocates have staged a rally in Awka, urging political actors and citizens to embrace dialogue and shun violence during the polls.

A group of peace advocates took to the streets of Awka, Anambra State capital to promote a peaceful and violent-free governorship election.

The peace walk, organized by the Anambra Peace and Mediation Working Committee, in collaboration with the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and other peace-oriented groups, commemorated the United Nations World Peace Day.

The participants marched through major streets, bearing placards with messages such as “Avoid all forms of electoral violence” and “Promote humility and discipline during elections.”

The event aimed to draw public attention to the need for calm and tolerance in the electoral process.

Addressing journalists the Director of the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies, UNIZIK,Prof. Chukwuemeka Nwanegbo said that the aim of the peace walk was to send a strong signal to stakeholders to prioritize peace during the Anambra state governorship election.

He urged political players to give peace a chance, avoid hate speech, and embrace politics of ideology and development.

Immediate Past Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and a member of the Anambra State Peace Committee, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, described peace as the bedrock of development.

He appealed for calm and tolerance during the election, urging the public to watch their utterances and ensure humility and discipline during the election.

International President of the UN Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre, Ambassador Festus Ozoemena, stressed that peace is priceless and critical to human and societal development.

Another Partner, Ndu Nwokolo, described peace as paramount, likening it to a marriage that requires nurturing.

He emphasized the need for peace in the forthcoming election, noting that the Southeast has regressed in recent years from the country’s safest region to a place people now avoid visiting.

Secretary of the Peace Committee, Ugochi Freeman said initiatives like peace walks and stakeholder engagements are vital in promoting peaceful and credible elections, underscoring the need for collective action to ensure free, fair, and credible polls.