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From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has called on political candidates contesting various electoral offices, political parties, stakeholders and their supporters to comply with the constitution and electoral act.
The group who decried with great disdain avoidable rising political tensions, unsubstantiated character assassination, name callings, casting unnecessary aspersions on perceived opponents and physical confrontations rearing its ugly heads in the state.
The Chairman of CLO, Anambra State branch, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, in a statement tagged “Let us give peace and love a chance to triumph”, condemned the recent scuffle between supporters of two major political parties at Enugukwu in Njikoka Local Government.
“It is very unfortunate, worrisome, despicable, detestable and condemnable. Concerted efforts should be made by both security personnel, candidates, political parties and stakeholders to forestall future occurrences of the dastardly act.
“It is pertinent and a step in the right direction for all political parties and their candidates to counsel their overzealous supporters to show respect, civility, decency and decorum while embarking on campaigns or selling their principals manifestos to the electorate.
“They should stop the wrong impression of no vacancy as a way of impressing their principals and intimidating their opponents.
“It is of prime importance to remind them that every elective office with exception of local government elections elapses every four years, hence there must be elections to avoid a leadership vacuum. It is left for the electorate to renew or withdraw the mandate.
“We most passionately appeal to all candidates to play politics without bitterness and rancour. They should tolerate the views of political opponents because intolerance and the absence of constructive criticism are a threat to our democracy and democratic spirit.
“Our political leaders and candidates should stop fraternising with services of praise singers, hero worshippers and every government in power as they constitute the worst and greatest enemies of good governance and democratic government.
“Unless and until our political leaders realised that those who tell them what they need to know and do is truly patriotic citizens, not those who praise them and tell them what they want to hear for their pecuniary selfish interest, the future just like the present will be very bleak and unbearable.
“Get your PVC and vote on the election day because if you don’t take interest in politics, politics will certainly take interest in you.
“We applaud maturity decorum, civility and mutual respect in which Labour Party presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi is campaigning, other candidates and political parties should emulate him,” Ezekwueme stated.
