2023: Group Tasks Political Parties On Peaceful Electoral Process In Rivers

Ahead of the commencement of the 2023 electioneering campaigns, a good governance advocacy group, Unity House Foundation (UHF), has called on politicians and political parties in Rivers State, to ensure a peaceful environment as they go about soliciting for votes.

Speaking in an interview with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt on Monday, UHF Convener, Kingsley Wenenda Wali, said the group will also engage political parties in the state on the need to allow a peaceful electoral process, starting with the campaigns.

Wali said: “So, what we want to do in the run-up to the elections is begin to hold a kind of conversation that will allow for peaceful electoral process, starting from campaigns. People should be allowed to go for campaigns freely.”

He stated that allowing violence and rancour to take over the processes towards the 2023 elections, could scare away credible people who are willing to be in leadership positions in the state.

UHF leader said: “So, as an organization, we are not interested at this point as to APC or PDP or who does not win. What we are interested in is the process. We want to be able to work with the process and encourage the process that throws up the best in our system.

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“We want to improve on the level of conversation. The first step towards improving the level of conversation is to have an environment that is conducive for holding of decent conversation.

“The only way you can have that an people feel comfortable to the fact that if I say something, nobody is going to come after me; when I expressed myself, nobody is going to come after me.

“The way Nigerians express themselves best is during the period preceding election period, the campaign period. So, if the period is serene and civil, you are more likely to produce capable public officers. The tension is more likely to be reduced.

“A peaceful electoral process is more likely to produce genuine leaders than a process that is dominated by violence where the strong or the strongest survives. When you do that, you drive away people who have something to offer but does not have muscles to drive it.”