NNPP urges issue-based campaign, violence

Ahead of the 2015 general election, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has advised candidates and their parties to engage in issue-based campaign and also shun violence.
The advice was contained in a statement titled, ‘2014 Christmas; The night before a new dawn’, issued in Lagos by Boniface Aniebonam, national chairman of the party.
The party also urged Nigerians, irrespective of religious and ethnic leanings to pray fervently at this period for a successful transition.
It noted that this year’s Christmas is coming at a very memorable period in the history of Nigeria, when the country is preparing for another round of elections, two months after the Yuletide.
Aniebonam said: “As it was the tradition with the period preceding general elections in our country, there is palpable fear in the air with regards to escalation in political violence.
NNPP urges issue-based campaign, violence coupled with the regional state of insecurity in the country manifesting in form of killings and suicide bombings, a phenomenon blamed on the activities of Boko Haram. Also of worry to
Nigerians are the activities of armed robbers, kidnappers etc, which all have combined to stretch the security apparatus to the extreme.
“If these are not enough sources of worry to an average Nigerian, the utterances and actions of some politicians point to the fact that the cohesion and indivisibility of Nigeria is undergoing its most serious test since the amalgamation of 1914. Every passing day reminds Nigerians of
the prediction/or could be it a warning by an American envoy, that Nigeria may break up in 2015.”
The party therefore said: “With the benefit of hindsight, NNPP makes bold to advocate that in spite of the dark cloud that is gathering, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria. Nigeria will weather the storm and come out more
united and stronger. This is the good tiding which the party has brought to Nigerians. NNPP wishes to remind Nigerians that Nigeria is a special project in the hands of God, to fulfill a purpose. However, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the evil forecast over Nigeria does not come to pass.”
“As a political party with closer ties with the grassroots, as we move steadily towards 2015 general elections, NNPP is pleading with our politicians to play the game by the rules. They should pursue their dreams with the fear of God and the interest of the hapless Nigerian masses at heart. In this era of campaigns, politicians should go about it in a manner devoid of violence, mudslinging and character assassination. Rather, they should engage in issue-based campaigns that will marshal out their plans for our peoples. Nigerian politicians should desist from turning the
future leaders of our country i.e. the youth, into thugs, who are later unleashed on their political opponents and innocent Nigerians,” he added.
The party’s boss also advised youth to deploy their energies towards positive ventures.
“No youth should allow him or herself to be used for violence by some politicians to achieve their selfLawmaker