A former presidential aspirant and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has urged politicians and major political parties in the country to shun ethnic and religious tantrums capable of widening the existing gulfs and cleavages among the citizens.
Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement, said the campaign outfits and leaders of the major political parties in the electoral race are complicating Nigeria’s ethnic and religious relations in their bid to win votes in 2023.
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He said instead of focusing on plans to transform the economy and programmes to achieve social and political development, national security and unity, parties were busy promoting ethno-religious sentiments.
He added that most of the campaigners are churning out messages with ethnic and religious nuances, noting that the polity has never descended this low since independence and the return to democracy in 1999.
“The 2023 general election is very crucial for our country, as Nigeria is today confronted by a myriad of problems.
“There is a serious crisis in the social sector, like education and health. Despite repeated promises by succeeding governments, corruption is still pervasive; the majority of our young people are jobless and losing hope.
“Nigeria deserves a future that is not defined by a fiendish manipulation of her notable fault lines but by developmental ideas, character, record and patriotic principles,” he said.