Politics
THE Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) has warned candidates of political parties and their supporters to avoid personal attacks on opponents as electioneering campaign for state council poll gather momentum.
The Executive Chairman of ENSIEC, Prof. Christian Ngwu, gave the warning in an intetview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Enugu.
Ngwu said that electioneering campaigns ahead of the polls need not be acrimonious, volatile, and dogged by personal attacks of opponents, but rather peaceful, issue based, and people oriented.
He said that the commission expected a rancour-free campaign ahead of the Sept. 26 Enugu State Local Council Polls.
“Go to the field and tell the people what you have for them and your plans to focus on issues that will better their lives and uplift them of inadequacies.
“We also want the electorate to ask political gladiators relevant questions on how they plan to carry out their campaign promises,” he said.
The chairman said that the commission was averse to personality and reputation attacks which often trigger political violence and bitter rancour.
“No one should heat up the polity with uncultured and abusive languages that attack individual candidates’ personality.
“Let us do well to keep the campaigns civil and accommodating; making welfare of the people, who are the electorate, the main focus,” he said.
NAN reports that candidates from 11 political parties will be participating in the polls for 17 Chairmanship and 260 Councillorship positions in the state.
ENSIEC recently concluded a two-day train-the-trainer workshop for its officials, which included: 17 Electoral Officers for each of the 17 council areas, 17 Assistant Electoral Officers, seven directors, five commissioners and an administrative secretary. (NAN)
M.P
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