Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has called on candidates to conduct their campaigns in a manner devoid of acrimony and acts that could lead to bloodletting.
In a congratulatory to all candidates that emerged out of the primaries of various political parties on Thursday, the former president urged not further exacerbate national faultlines.
He said, “I congratulate the winners of the various primaries across the political spectrum, particularly Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who has won the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the flag bearers of other parties that have also concluded their primaries.
“They include Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Malik Ado-Ibrahim, Young Progressives Party (YPP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Dumebi Kachikwu, African Democratic Congress (ADC) as well as Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP.
“Your emergence as the flagbearers of your parties after submitting yourselves to rigorous selection and election processes demonstrates your belief and interest in the progress of our nation.
“I consider you are all aspiring to be elected as the leader of the country because you are democrats who believe, like the rest of us, that Nigeria is our common heritage which we should all strive to protect, prosper and preserve for the future generation.
“As you progress towards the electioneering campaigns, it is important that the issues confronting the country and credible solutions take centre stage.
“I urge you to conduct your campaigns in a manner devoid of acrimony, divisiveness and treachery so that at the end of the day Nigeria will win, democracy will triumph and humanity will be better for it.
“As I have always said, no ambition is worth the life of another. As candidates, you must eschew violence and acts that will encourage any form of bloodletting or exacerbate the national fault lines. We live in a season of unprecedented violence and all political leaders have a responsibility to de-escalate the tension in the country. The candidates by conduct and language must prioritise non-violence and peaceful coexistence.”
