2023: CSO tasks politicians on Issue-based campaigns
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has called on politicians to focus on issue-based campaigns
The Executive Director of the CTA, Ms Faith Nwadishi, made the call while addressing a news conference on the start of campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections.
In her remarks, Nwadishi who noted the importance of issue-based campaign said that it would create the atmosphere for the successful deployment and conduct of all electoral activities.
She said that campaigns should be devoid of hate speech; abusive, intemperate, or slanderous language; insinuations or innuendoes likely to provoke violent reaction; physical attack on supporters of one party by another or destruction of campaign
materials.
“The 2023 elections are a few months away. It is important to remind our politicians and every stakeholder that the world is watching us as we prepare for this important political activity.
“According to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) election calendar, campaigns by political parties in public as provided by Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 officially commenced nationwide on Wednesday.”
She said that as politicians begin campaigns, it is expected that the political atmosphere will be charged adding that it is imperative therefore, that political parties make their campaigns issue-based.
“They are to convince Nigerians to vote for their candidates based on sound proposals of alternative solutions to the issues that are of
utmost concern to Nigerians.
“The centre for transparency Advocacy is calling on the political parties and their candidates to tell Nigerians in realistic terms how they intend to end insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities.
“Citizens are eager to know the solutions that political parties are proffering to the lingering security challenges.”
She also urged politicians to make elimination of gas flare and high cost of petroleum products be made a campaign issue.
“Political parties should consider and
in fact, include discussions on fuel subsidy and domestic consumption of fuel in their campaigns.”
On education, the executive director said it was sad that Nigerian university students have been kept at home for over seven months due to strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“Political parties and their candidates should make it a point to tell Nigerians how they will mitigate the protracted strikes in the education system and other rots bedeviling the Nigerian education sector from the primary, post primary and tertiary levels.
“Foreign educational institutions
are cashing out on the rot of our system, encouraging Nigerian youth to seek alternative education in foreign lands. What is the way out?
She further called on political parties and candidates to include in their campaigns, a clear path to inclusive governance and gender sensitivity if their government is elected.
NAN/N.O
