Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Inter-faith Mediation Centre (IMC) has cautioned politicians and their supporters against heating up the polity.
The executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, made the call yesterday in a press briefing on ‘Peaceful 2023 General Election in Kaduna State’.
Rafsanjani said, “The commitment of the political parties and their frontline candidates under the accord binds them to shun hate speech, peddling of fake news, political thuggery and other acts that unnecessarily heat up the polity and stoke up electoral violence while focusing on issue-based campaigns.
“Ultimately also, the pact binds the stakeholders to bear on their supporters and party agents the need to maintain peace through the election period.
To achieve the objectives of the various peace pacts in the State, stakeholders must abide by their commitments under the agreements.
“Political actions must continue to be in line with the spirit of the agreements. And other observatory stakeholders such as the civil society and the media must also play their role to ensure compliance to the provisions of the peace agreements.
“We are reminding the political parties and candidates on commitments as we gradually approach the general election to dissuade not just themselves, but their supporters and influencers to desist from stoking up electoral violence and conflict in the State”.
The executive director who was represented by the Senior Program Officer, CISLAC, Solomon Adoga said that it is far easier for the State and its people to thrive in peace than combatting chaos.
The administrative secretary, Vision Trust Foundation, Hajia Amina Kazaure urged journalists to be strategic in their reportage in order not to set Nigeria on fire, especially this campaign period, she said.
She also urged parents to train their children in order not to be victims of political thuggery, saying that they should tell them the implications of engaging in social vices
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