Campaigns kick-off: NUJ charges politicians to play by the rules

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*NUJ National President, Mr. Chris Isiguzo


(Nigeria) As the 2023 general electioneering campaigns officially kick off on Wednesday, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has called on politicians seeking positions into various offices and their teeming supporters across the country to do everything possible to protect Nigeria's nascent democratic process, stick to the rules of the game and run factual and issue-based campaigns, to avoid increased tension in the polity.

NUJ National President, Mr. Chris Isiguzo gave the charge when he played host to Oche Precious Edeh, Convener of the "Value Your Vote Campaign and his" team who paid him a courtesy visit at the NUJ National Secretariat, Abuja.

He said that politicians should guard their utterances to avoid confrontation and inciting statements capable of plunging the country into avoidable unrests, because according to him, the country was already facing enough challenges of insecurity from all parts of the country and therefore, politicians should thread with caution in their campaigns.

The union urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders to provide a level playing ground for all political parties and their candidates and be alert and watchful, so as to bring defaulters to book.

"It is heart warming to note that substantial political awareness has been created during the current dispensation in all the stratas of the society. People should be free to exercise their political franchise unhindered since it is their fundamental human rights," the President added.

Isiguzo urged politicians to learn to embrace unity in  diversity, accommodate each other's differences and allow the pupulace decide who governs them, because "we have no other country to call our own.

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