Ahead of the presidential election, President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Mohammed Garba, has warned that free and fair election is the only way to prevent electoral violence across the country.
Garba, who spoke during a workshop on how to report the 2015 elections, organized by the Kaduna State council of the NUJ, warned that any attempt by politicians to subvert the will of the people during the polls was likely to trigger violent protests across the country and subsequently disrupt the current democratic dispensation.
He, therefore, appealed to politicians to respect the outcome of the polls and allow the will of the masses to prevail.
Mr Garba also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for introducing new measures aimed at ensuring free and fair elections and however called on security agencies to collaborate with INEC to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully.
The NUJ President also called on security agencies to provide adequate security for journalists covering the 2015 elections, as doing so would give the journalists the confidence to discharge their duties effectively during the polls.
On Saturday March 28, Nigerians would be going to the polls to elect their next President and federal lawmakers for another four years.
The success of the election matters for not only the African continent, but the international community.
In 2011, violence broke out in some parts of the country following the announcement of the presidential election result.
Some supporters of a particular candidate alleged that the election was rigged, hence they embarked on violent protests. The crisis claimed several lives, including serving youth corps members.
Many Nigerians have expressed fears of a recurrence of the 2011 incident going by the violent campaign rallies and hate speeches by political parties.
The NUJ President, while expressing his concerns about this situation, therefore, appealed to politicians and other stakeholders to play the game according to the rules.