*Urge politicians to embrace issue-based campaigns
Sunday Aborisade, Udora Orizu in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; his deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Conference of Southern Senators and Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, have expressed the hope and great confidence that the 2023 general election would end successfully.
They have therefore urged politicians to engage in issue-based campaigns ahead of the polls.
The federal lawmakers stated these in their separate New Year messages.
They appreciated and commended Nigerians for having faith in their country and for always supporting efforts at building a virile nation.
On his part, Lawan expressed happiness that the Ninth National Assembly has remained unwavering in the implementation of its legislative agenda and kept faith with Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to seize the opportunities provided to take active part in the ongoing electoral process.
Lawan said the Electoral Act 2022 had ignited hope in the system and heightened expectations about the forthcoming general elections.
“It is less than six months to the end of this Assembly. I am proud to say that all of us have kept faith with the Nigerian people as their representatives,” Lawan explained.
In his New Year message to the people of Delta State, Senator Omo-Agege noted that the 2023 general election is another opportunity to redress the wrongs of governance by electing the right and qualified persons into positions of authority to govern the state.
Gbajabiamila has also congratulated Nigerians for witnessing the New Year 2023.
The Speaker said the year 2023 would be significant for Nigerians, being the year that citizens will elect new leaders to pilot the affairs of the country.
He said he is optimistic about the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead and urged Nigerians to remain resolute and determined as a people.
Gbajabiamila noted that 2023 is a defining year for Nigeria, which is why the citizens should be united and speak with one voice.
The Conference of Southern Senators, in a statement signed by their Chairman, Opeyemi Bamidele, insisted that Nigeria can only witness progress and prosperity if all citizens value unity and patriotism.
They harped on the need to forge a united nation to fortify the country’s bonds and make it strong to overcome the cankerworms of corruption, insecurity and economic deprivation.
The lawmakers appealed to religious and political leaders, not to make incendiary and inflammatory comments that could further widen the existing cleavages and stoke the fire of disunity, that has been the main challenge ripping the country apart.
“We want to use this opportunity to appeal to our community and religious leaders to continue to preach the message of peace among all Nigerians, because a nation can’t progress or prosper unless there is unity among tribes and religious organisations,” the statement added.
Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State who is representing Enugu East in the Senate, urged political gladiators contesting for various public offices to refrain from mudslinging and character assassination.
Rather, he said their campaign should be on issues that would have direct bearing on the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Nnamani said: ”Those who engage in a campaign of calumny are obviously bereft of ideas. Any one vying for public office must have his or her manifesto or programme of action”.
He also noted that the electorate should “be wise enough to vote for candidates with proven track record of performance and not those who exploits our fault lines of ethnicity or religion to gain advantage”.
Nnamani bemoaned the deteriorating security situation in parts of the country especially in the South-east region and called for collaborative efforts between the security operatives and communities to halt the menace .
He was of the view that security should not be left for the government alone and urged communities to participate in order to fish out “ these criminals who live amongst the people in the communities “.
He prayed for a peaceful atmosphere that would guarantee free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
