The Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council (NENYLC), a pressure group, has cautioned politicians against hate speech, ahead of campaigns for 2023 poll.
Mr Terry Obieh, President General, NENYLC, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Obieh also advised candidates for 2023 poll to engage in constructive debates on their plans for Nigerians.
He lauded political parties for conducting hitch-free primary elections and urged presidential candidates to unite and put Nigeria first in the course of their political engagements across the country.
Obieh also urged political parties to give sense of belonging to every segments of the society.
“Unity, security and national development are key driver toward attaining the Nigeria of our dream, 2023 election should not be made a do or die affairs.
“Hence the need for all presidential candidates, political parties and other candidates and citizens not to overheat the polity with hate speech, thereby to extol the virtues of peace and sportsmanship qualities before, during and after the general elections.
“We therefore demand that all political parties should as a matter of necessity balance religious and ethnicity related issues, so as to protect and sustained the values of democracy in the Nigeria.
” We therefore call on parties to embrace a joint religion ticket of Muslim-Christian or traditional religion based on competitive, competence and positive values and not predicated on compensatory opportunism,“ he said.
Obieh said that the group plans to host a National Youth Presidential Debate in November where Nigerian Youths would ask questions from all their preferred candidates to know thier manifestoes.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide more machines and centres to hasten the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process.
Obieh said that the call became necessary because many youths were yet to register and the available centres were jam-packed.
“In view of the ongoing CVR process, we call on INEC to consider succinct administrative management of the entire process, based on the increasing voters interests to get registered.
“Our youths constitutes more than 65 per cent of the nation’s population, since they are willing to get their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), they should be given this timely opportunity to carry out their civic and franchise rights,” he said.
He said that Nigerians urgently needed President Muhammadu Buhari to address issues around restructuring of the constitution and governance system in compliance with current challenges.
He added that issues of job creation and mass employment opportunities, agricultural revolution, education, health care, technological advancement should be looked into.
Obieh demanded for the immediate intervention by the Federal Government to end the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) strike by acceding to the union’s demand.
Also speaking, Aare Hassan, President, Yoruba Council Worldwide called on the three tiers of government to take the issue of security seriously and come up with solutions.
Hassan condemned the Owo killing and called on the government to work toward protecting lives and property in a way that the current security challenge would not affect the 2023 elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group called on youths to refuse to be used as political thugs but register and collect their PVCs to decide who would become their leaders.
Some members of the group included Mr Okwu Nnabuike, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth President and Mr Aare Hassan, President, Yoruba Council Worldwide.(NAN)