The Chairman, Anambra State chapter of Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council, Oseloka Obaze, has warned that the management and rhetoric of 2019 elections might be a potential tripwire for Nigeria, and as such, should be handled with care.
Obaze raised the alarm in Abuja during the third annual Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) conference.
Obaze, who was represented by Chiagozie Udeh, a Research Associate at Selonnes Consult, said that the security situation in the North East, herders-farmers conflict, pockets of insecurity in Zamfara and Katsina states, national unity strained by government’s policies and precepts, occupy the minds of the Nigerian public as 2019 elections approach.
Obaze said that these vexatious issues coupled with the fact that Nigerians were hungry and therefore unhappy, should compel the electoral umpire – INEC – to ensure that the forthcoming elections were free, fair and sufficiently credible.
He therefore called on candidates, whom he noted had mostly engaged the campaigns with civility and decorum to rein in on their supporters to tone down their rhetoric, both online and offline; as trying to whip up political sentiments could exacerbate tense situations.
Obaze also called on media practitioners to avoid sensational headlines and news reports capable of stoking conflicts. According to him, the mass media has a duty to report the news fairly and accurately, minding the several tripwires of Nigeria’s existence as a country. He said Nigeria has a history of the post-election crisis, which cannot be allowed to repeat in 2019.