2023 Election: Focus on issues based campaign, shun violence- NGO tells Politicians 

By: Our Reporter

The Networks of Civil Society Organisation has charged politicians to focus on issues based campaigns while expressing fear of violence and upsurge of drugs by political thuggery ahead of 2023 general election in Borno state.

The Chairman CSOs Borno State Chapter, Comrade Bulama Abiso stated this during a town hall meeting on The Role of Youth and Women in Achieving Violence Free and Fair Elections in 2023 organised by Nigeria Northeast Connection held in Maiduguri Wednesday day.

Bulama called on Nigerian politicians to stop using the young people as thugs during election.

“My fear over the 2023 election as a Civil Society Activists is the use of youths as political thuggery , the use of none base issues campaigns and the use of drugs is worrisome in our communities, all  the economy in the world is being driven by the youths but not in Nigeria.

“From what we are seeing youths are used as political thuggery so we are concerned about this, the use of drugs is a real thing of concern to us, if you look closely every violence is being triggered by drugs during election, we may experience violence in election.

“We are warning the politicians to desist from the behaviour that can cause violence in our country. 

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“Therefore, I am calling on politicians to focus on issues based on campaigns instead of using youths to cause violence before and during the election.”Comrade Bulama

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Director of Rise to Inspire Africa Initiative, Mr. Stephen Oladepo believed the risk of violence is inherent in every election and mostly perpetrated by youths, even in established democracies but the forthcoming election the narrative must be changed.

“Today, we are basically holding town meeting to discuss the role young people and women in the forthcoming election, we converged young people in Borno state to discuss with them on the need to achieve a violent free election. 

“We are educating them on how to counter election misconceptions, misinformation, disinformation and malformations. We are also encouraging young people to participate in the election process.”he said.

Stephen added that the aim of the project was to enlightened and encourage young girls and women to participate in the elections processes in Jere local government area of the state.

He explained that the project was funded by USAID, supported by Nigeria Northeast Connection and implemented by Rise to Inspire Africa Initiative.

In her remarks, MECOHEDI, Mrs Pauline Ibrahim said the government, religious organisation and stakeholders have a responsibility to preach the culture of political tolerance, peace-building process should be led and driven by youths at the grassroots level.

2023 Election: Focus on issues based campaign, shun violence- NGO tells Politicians