The Director General, Presidential Campaign Council, Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, has cautioned the Igbo nation to stop putting all their eggs in one basket.
Okonkwo also insisted that Ohanaeze has not endorsed any presidential candidate, adding that people should stop attacking those that have divergent views against their preferred candidate.
He stated this in Awka, on Thursday, during a symposium by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State chapter.
He added that it’s unlawful in a democratic setting to attack supporters of opposition
candidates, noting that people should respect the views and positions of others in the interest of the unity of the country.
He spoke as the guest lecturer during the symposium with the theme, ‘The role of media in guaranteeing the sanctity of the electoral process in Nigeria’.
The Ohanaeze, in a statement, on Sunday, titled, ‘2023: On SMBLF position we stand,” signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, endorsed the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying that he has filled what could have been a very sad gap if he was not in the ballot.
But Okonkwo during the lecture insisted that the apex body did not endorse any presidential candidate.
He further called for the respect of other people’s views and political interests, while explaining that in the history of the country’s politics, no one section of the country has ever supported a particular candidate.
He lamented the introduction of a new trend in the country’s politics, where people are insulted, vilified and treated as “outcasts” for not backing a preferred candidate.
He said, “As journalists and professionals we are trained to be fair and report all sides without bias and I thank our journalists for upholding the ethics of their profession.
“But there is an introduction of a new trend in the politics of Nigeria where people are insulted, vilified and treated as outcasts because they are not backing their preferred candidate.
“I remember that when late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was NCNC, my own uncle was in Action Group and heavens didn’t fall.
“We also had the era of NPN and NPP and we also got to a situation whereby at the end, we had an accord with the NPN and we produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“So we cannot at this point put all our eggs in one basket because politics is very dynamic and that is the beauty of politics and democracy.”
The Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, who gave the keynote address, highlighted the traditional media in marketing state policies.
Nwosu said the country is one and cannot be threatened by the activities of those he described as people who have the “Hitler Mob mentality”.
“It is not in our character to subjugate the wishes and aspirations of other Nigerians because of your support for a certain candidate and to us journalists, we must be fair and credible in our reportage,” he added.
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