Ijaw\Northern Youths Sign Non-Violent Elections Pact

Youths from both Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria have come
together to promote and support the non-violent election campaign
ahead of the February General Eelections in the Country.

The youths comprising of Northern Ethnic Youth Groups Assembly and the
Ijaw Youth Council, gathered in Keffi, Nasarawa State, to raise
awareness among Nigerians about the need to shun violence before,
during and after the elections.

The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri and Convener
of the Northern Ethnic Youth Groups Assembly, Usman Okai, both agreed
on the need to avoid inflammatory comments following threat by some
Niger Delta Leaders on the election outcome.

Other Youth Groups present at the peace meeting include the Ohaneze
Youth Wing, Miyetti Allah, Eggon Youth Movement, Idoma and Hausa Elite
Clubs, to endorse a common front of a peaceful post election era for
Nigeria.

The presidential candidates of all the political parties in Nigeria
had earlier in the year signed an accord to prevent electoral
violencebefore, during and after the February 14 elections.

The signing ceremony took place in Abuja during a sensitisation
workshop on non-violence elections.

It had in attendance President Goodluck Jonathan of the People's
Democratic Party (PDP), General Muhammadu Buhari of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and Professor Oluremi Sonaiya of the KOWA
Party amongst others.

The accord also stipulates that the institutions engaged in the
conduct of the February elections must be seen to be impartial
throughout the conduct of the elections.

In his speech at the opening of the workshop, President Jonathan
identified what he called 'threats and provocative statements' by the
leaders of political parties, as some of the reasons the followers
take to violence during and after elections and warned that Nigerians
should shun politics of bitterness.
--ChannelsTV