Imo Guber: Group tasks political actors, against campaigns of calumny, violence

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Less than a month to the Imo state gubernatorial polls , a Civil Society Organisation , Human Life Protection Advocacy Intiative and its affiliate Life in Imo has admonished political actors and the stakeholders to shun campaigns of calumny and violence in the run up to the November 11 gubernatorial polls in the state.

In a Press statement signed by the National Chairman/ State coordinator Prince Maduba Chukwudi ( OluImo)and Deacon Daniel Opara, publicity Secretary respectively , who gave the advice on Monday in Owerri, the Imo state capital enjoined political actors and the stakeholders not to up heat the polity by engaging in campaigns of calumny and character assassination .

The Group also noted that in any contest there must be a winner and losers and that supporters of the losing parties should not take the laws into their hands but to support the winner for the good of the State.

Noting that the State has gone through much already in the last three and half years now , and that the people need to rethink as the state and people does not want to go through another cycle of violence.

The statement which reads, “There is no gainsaying the fact that there would always be winner and loser in any contest . Losing in a continuing contest such as the periodic elections is only temporary, as contender could ordinarily go back to re-strategize for the next opportunity.

“We therefore urge all stakeholders, especially political leaders, to restrain their followers. As former President Goodluck Jonathan rightly stated that nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen. Again, Martin Luther Jr. admonished that we must learn to live together as brothers or all perish together as fools because he acknowledged that although there would be situations where we have reason to be angry because we consider we have been wronged by our neighbors, we must find a way of peacefully accommodating ourselves or we all lose out”

“We, therefore, urged the good people of Imo State to act peacefully during and after the governorship polls and to not engage in any violent conduct because at the end of day we are all Imo people and must not destroy our state .”