An advocacy group of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Rivers Unity House (RUH) has called on politicians to embrace issue-based campaign in the build-up to the 2019 general elections.
Co-convener of the Port Harcourt-based group, Mr Peter Ekekwe, made the call while speaking with newsmen in the Port Harcourt on Monday.
He said that the group would play leading roles in ensuring that the electorate was empowered to demand tangible messages of honesty and hope from politicians during the campaigns.
Ekekwe said that the group had concluded plans to hold a seminar that would bring democracy stakeholders to brainstorm on how to make the campaign issue-based.
He said that the seminar scheduled to hold on Dec. 5, is themed: “Corruption as an Issue in Nigeria’s Development Crisis’’.
He added the event aim was to make corruption a core issue in the 2019 electioneering, saying that “corruption remains a great challenge to Nigeria.’’
According to him, it has become expedient for Nigerians to ensure that those demanding their votes are not corrupt but sincere and willing to serve.
“Entrusting people with our votes requires deep interrogation to understand their character and readiness to serve.
“We want to champion the process of issue-based campaign and discourage a repetition of the old order where politicians had no message,’’ he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Nov. 18 lifted ban on political campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections.
INEC said it was in accordance with Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), which provides that “the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.
It however warned that “Political parties are expected to conduct their activities in an organized and peaceful manner, devoid of rancour, hate and/or inflammatory speeches.” With reports by NAN
