The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Akwa Ibom State has raised alarm over the disturbing trend by political parties in the state using violent pronouncements to heat up the polity, which if not checked, is capable of igniting avoidable carnage in the state during the 2019 general elections.
Rather, the organisation wants “The parties should tell the people what they intend to do to pull them out of poverty and ignorance. They should tell the people what programmes they have and how they intend to use such programmes to develop the state and make life better for the people.”
A press release issued Thursday and signed by Comrade Franklyn Isong, Chairman and Comrade David Augustine, the Campaign/Publicity Secretary of CLO, Akwa Ibom State branch, reminded members and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) to use electioneering campaigns as tools to convince voters to vote one way or the other.
“As such, parties and their candidates must dwell on the issues that currently agitate the minds of the people of Akwa Ibom State.
“Parties and their candidates must campaign with decorum and respect for the rights of those with opposing views to be expressed without harassment and intimidation,” the Human rights body enjoined.
According to CLO, “Politicians must ensure that violent languages, hate speeches and utterances capable of inciting violence are eschewed. Politicians must use temperate languages aimed at convincing, rather than intimidating to submission.
It expressed disappointment at “The pulling down, destruction and/or defacing of electioneering campaign billboards noticeable in the recent times, must stop. No party should encourage its members to resort to such barbaric actions, such as; dismantling of billboards and destruction of other campaign materials in the state.
“We urge party leaders to join hands with security agencies to ensure smooth, peaceful, transparent, and violence-free 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom State.”
It noted “On our part, the CLO is committed to the preservation and protection of the human and civil rights of the citizenry and we shall rise in defence of the peoples’ rights.
“As a responsible civil society organisation, the CLO is committed to ensuring that the rights of the Nigerian people resident in the state, to participate in political activities, including their right to vote, their right to attend political rallies and their right to choose among competing candidates who to vote for, are respected and guaranteed.
“We note that these rights are capable of being stymied by a descent to anarchy and violence, which are concomitant outcomes of the raging vicious verbal and physical attacks so far being perpetrated by politicians and their supporters in the state.”
“Election is a time to vote and not a time to cause mayhem, breach of peace and violation of rights of citizens of the Nigerian state.
“Let the people exercise their franchise of electing their leaders in the forthcoming 2019 elections in the state,” CLO submitted.
