Shun Actions Threatening Nigeria’s Unity, Olukoshi Urges Politicians
As the 2023 electioneering process reaches its peak amid concerns about violent campaign, the Grassroot Independent Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has trained its state coordinators on anger management and effective communication.
Speaking at the retreat holding at the international conference centre, Abuja, the director, Media and Publicity of the council, Hilliard Eta, said this was the first time that the grassroots of Nigeria were targeted for the purposes of bringing the message of campaign for its presidential candidate to the people in a way it would resonate with them.
According to him, the essence of the retreat was to equip the foot soldiers of the party on how to market the candidate of the party, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu and convince more Nigerians.
Eta said, “Before an army sets out for its responsibility, it must be tutored in a manner to engage the objective. This is to equip the combatants, what I call the battalions. You know when you get the BAT, you get the BATtalions – to equip the battalions to go to the hinterland, the grassroots of Nigeria to do the work for which they have been given to do.”
The former acting national chairman of APC urged the electorate not to listen to the sound bite that is couched in mudslinging and character assassination.
He said, “In the name of the God you (electorate) worship, take away all the distractions and listen to the message and when anybody comes to tell you that he is going to do something miraculous and fantastic today, ask him what he did yesterday because talk is cheap.”
Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi of Wits School of Governance, in South Africa, has urged Nigerians to shun actions capable of threatening the peace and unity of the nation ahead of the 2023 polls.
Olukoshi who disclosed this during a press conference to officially launch the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) Node Nigeria office stressed the need for continued peaceful coexistence among Nigerians for the socio-economic and political development of the country.
He also urged political actors not to take actions or make decisions of a kind that will make Nigeria a problem to West Africa, rather than a beacon of hope for the sub-region.
Olukoshi also called for the re-politicization of civil society, saying civil society organisations must organising and retool itself, to be able to respond to the many discontents of democratization over the last 20-25 years across West Africa.
The executive director, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Nana Afadzinu, said over the years, WASCI has witnessed a keen and overwhelming interest in and demand for WACS programmes and services by civil society actors in Nigeria.