Former Nigeria President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, congratulated the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that of APC, Bola Tinubu, and their counterpart in the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, as well as those of the other parties on their emergence as their parties’ standard-bearers.
Jonathan also appealed to the political parties participating in the 2023 general election to base their campaigns on issues and shun violence during the electioneering.
In a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president urged the candidates to run campaigns devoid of rancour and divisiveness, and utilise the opportunity to promote peace and unity.
Jonathan commended the candidates for their interest in leading the country, which he described as a demonstration of their commitment and belief in the progress of the nation.
Noting that Nigeria was at a critical junction in its march to nationhood, as it grapples with security and economic challenges, Jonathan said the 2023 elections presented an opportunity to renew the dreams of the founding fathers and revitalise the economy.
He charged the candidates to, in their campaigns, eschew violence and acts that could encourage any form of bloodletting or exacerbate the national fault lines. He said it was the responsibility of all political leaders to strive to de-escalate the tension in the country.
Jonathan also reminded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of their responsibilities, stressing that the significance of the 2023 election, imposes on them a historic burden to continue the process of deepening the reforms of our electoral system.
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