2023: Shun Ethnic, Religion, Tribal Sentiments During Election, Group Tells Nigerians

A political support and Socio-economic organisation under the auspices of Fusion Nigeria has called on Nigerians not to allow sentiments to control how they cast their votes in the forthcoming general elections, especially the presidential election.

Director general of the organisation, Comrade Sadiq Jikta, who made this known while briefing journalists on Thursday said that Nigerians cannot afford to get it wrong in the coming election, by allowing religion, ethnic or tribal sentiments to becloud their election judgment.

He said that the era of religious, ethnicity or tribal reasons for electing political leaders has passed and that Nigerians should be looking out for competence, experience, and capability, which is why the group is throwing its weight behind the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said that even though Tinubu is not a Northerner, they believe that he stands as a unifying factor to unite Nigerians and take the country to greater heights in all ramifications because of what he did as governor of Lagos state.

Jikta who faulted the campaign of a popular presidential candidate advising northerners to vote for a northern candidate, Mr Jikta said that other candidates will not be president for a particular section of the country but would be president for all Nigerians.

“That statement from a respected presidential candidate was very wrong and should be disregarded. Our politicians should engage in issue-based campaigns and not personality or ethnicity. For him to tell northerners to vote for a northern candidate is wrong.

“Tinubu is unifying and will unite Nigerians even more than a northern president. We should not allow sentiments to becloud our election judgment so that we will not make mistakes this time. We cannot afford to go through another round of suffering for four years again.

“Nigerians should be wise during this period. We have suffered for too long and we need leaders that have selfless interest and the people’s interest at heart. We need to elect leaders with positive records, that will turn things around for Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

Fusion Nigeria also appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that every mechanism that is needed to conduct the general elections is in very good shape and working well so that complaints will not arise from any quarters during and after the elections.

“We want to advise that INEC has enough time to put things right before the elections, so they should ensure that they get things right without allowing loopholes to come as hindrances to the transparency, credibility, and fairness of the exercise.

“INEC should ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and the mandates of the people are protected. We believe that if everything INEC has put in place goes as planned, concerning the 2022 Electoral Acts, that means we will get it right this time in our electoral process and the right president would be elected,” he said.