2015 Polls: Council Advocates Peaceful Polls, Visits Former Heads Of State, Key Traditional Rulers, Others

By Development Diaries
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In order to contribute to promoting the peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections, a group of eminent Nigerians under the aegis of the 'Council of the Wise' Panel of Savannah Centre is set to embark on a 2-week tour to elder statesmen, traditional rulers and interfaith organizations across the country.


Scheduled to hold between March 10 -24, 2015, the Council will pay courtesy visits to former Heads of State, key traditional rulers, leaders of political parties and interfaith organizations across the country.

The tour, which is aimed at engaging relevant stakeholders and social influencers across the country on the need to preach and promote violence-free general elections will see the council pay courtesy calls on former Heads of State like General AbdulsalamiAbubakar, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief OlusegunObasanjo, General Yakubu Gowon, AlhajiShehuShagari, and former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan. The Council is also scheduled to visit the Sultan of Sokoto, Lamido of Adamawa, Emir of Kano, the Obas of Lagos and Benin as well as the Obi of Onitcha. In the course of the visitations, the Council will pay courtesy calls on the Governors of Sokoto, Adamawa, Kano, Lagos, Benin, Anambra, Ogun and Rivers States.

The 'Council of the Wise' Panel on the 2015 General Elections is a 9-person committee of eminent Nigerians constituted by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, with representation across various sectors and the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The Council is chaired by the Former Chief Justice of the Nigeria, Honourable Justice Mohammed LawalUwais with Professor Ibrahim Gambari, CFR as the Principal Coordinator. Other members of the Council include: Sheikh Ahmed AbubakarLemu, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Ms. Joke Silva, Ambassador BrownsonDede, Professor George Obiozor, Professor AgwuOkali and AmbassadorUsmanGajiGaltimairi.

According to the Council Chairman, Justice Uwais, “The necessity to create a healthy socio-political atmosphere for peaceful electoral performance is never as demanding as this. All stakeholders must work together to advance the real course of democracy and development in Nigeria despite our individualistic, religious,ethnic and other persuasions”.

While on tour, the Council will hold interactive sessions with various interfaith organizations as well as the Chairmen and Secretaries of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC). The Council will also facilitate Advocacy Workshops on the Role of Community/Traditional Authorities in Promoting Peace, Cohesion and Violence-free Elections in Rivers and Kano States respectively.

The Council's non-violence tour will climax with a Press Conference on the outcomes of the peace campaign tour alongside other issues relevant to the 2015 General Elections.

ABOUT THE SAVANNAH CENTRE
The Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development is a non- governmental think-tank committed to policy advocacy and analysis in three thematic areas - Diplomacy, Democracy and Development.

Website – www.savannahcentre.org, Facebook – www.fb.com/savannahcentre, Twitter - @savannahcent