Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (LPPCO), has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima to stop calling its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, unprintable names in the media.
In statement issued by the Director General, Dr Doyin Okupe, the organization said it had refused to respond to him in like manner not because they lacked the capacity to publicly take him on but to keep their campaign engagement and rhetoric, civil and issue based.
It called on the All Progressives Congress to call Shettima to order.
The statement read: “Our political parties are all signatories to the National Peace Accord supervised by General Abdulsalami Abubakar , National Peace Committee Chairman, and which represents the bonafide code of conduct for all corporate and individual direct participants in the current electoral process.
“In the Peace Accord, signed in Abuja, it was expressly stated that candidates will avoid the use of abusive and offensive language throughout the campaigns.
“It is, therefore, very unfortunate and regretful but not exactly surprising that, in flagrant disregard for the clauses and principles of this accord, the APC vice presidential candidate, in particular, has continued, repeatedly, to play the court jester – by persistently, irresponsibly and recklessly, making all sorts of derogatory comments, totally at variance with good manners and decorum.
“We are in, no doubt whatsoever, that while he has consistently abused the opportunity of public audience by making these snide remarks about His Excellency, Peter Obi, and other candidates, he cannot, in the least and in any way, ever measure up to these his political superiors in integrity, character and status, not to mention vision, policies and national acceptance.
“We here emphasize that, strictly in line with the directives of our presidential candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi, to keep the campaign engagement and rhetoric, civil and issue based, we have resisted his sustained diatribe, and could not bring ourselves to his dirt level, to respond to him in like manner.
“However, it must be placed on record that this does not represent a lack of capacity to publicly take him on.
“At this juncture, Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation will like to advise the APC to rein in and restrain its vice presidential candidate from further uncouth and unguarded language against our candidate and all other candidates in this race.
“Shettima had in one instance said Obi could best be a President in Igboland “but definitely not in Nigeria”, saying “Nigeria is too big for him to handle”
“It can be understood that he is still basking in the euphoria of having been nominated to the exalted position of the vice presidential candidate of a party, which ordinarily could never have occurred in an environment of strict adherence to best practices and where due attention is paid to pedigree and known antecedents.
“For a fact, in other civilized climes, a presidential election is a serious process of responsibility to the people, and should not become an arena for display of verbal hooliganism.
“We will like to remind Shettima that those who make their living in glass houses should not have stone throwing as their hobby.
“A word should be enough for the wise”.
Similarly, The Peter Obi Campaign Council in Bayelsa state has advocated a level playing ground for all political parties ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
The State Coordinator of the Council, Mr. Alagoa Morris made the call in Yenagoa during an advocacy visit to the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubraye Dakolo.
Stakeholders at the event also urged law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of election violence in the country.
The Coordinator appealed to traditional rulers to refrain from partisan politics and continue to play fatherly roles to all parties and candidates.
According to him, since the nation returned to civil rule in 1999, the country’s democracy could no longer be described as nascent, soliciting that citizens are guaranteed the rights to freely choose their leaders and equal treatment for all political parties and candidates before, during and after the elections.
While calling for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of electoral violence, Mr. Morris gave an assurance that the Labour Party would refrain from using foul language and blackmail in its campaign, stressing that Nigerians were yearning for genuine progress in all spheres of national life.
State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Eneyi Zidogha emphasized the need for credible elections, while pledging that the party would stick to the rules of the game, urging youths to eschew violence.
In a response, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Ibenanaowe of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubraye Dakolo while giving an assurance that the traditional institution would remain non partisan, he appreciated the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi for being the first to suspend his campaign to visit the State to empathize with the people over the flood disaster.
King Dakolo said there was need for the 2023 elections to reflect the will of the people, urging INEC to be alive to its duties and law enforcement agencies to diligently arrest and prosecute would be trouble makers and those who engage in vote buying.
The Ekpetiama Monarch enjoined leaders in the country to judiciously utilize and manage resources to improve the lives of Nigerians and tackle the challenges of insecurity, crime and unemployment.
The Royal Father presented a copy of his book, ‘The Riddle of the Oil Thief’ to the delegation of the Labour Party in the State.
