As Nigerians prepare for the March 11, 2023 governorship and states assembly elections, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) leaders have appealed to journalists in Kaduna state to eschew stories that are capable of causing political violence.
The two religious bodies made the appeal at a one-day interactive session organised by Global Peace Foundation -Nigeria (GPFN) in collaboration with Big Minds Communications Consult (BMCC) and Corespondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Kaduna state chapter.
Though the third largest state in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, Kaduna is one of the states with highest number of political upheavals that has claimed several lives, with destruction of properties, especially during the 2011 post-election violence.
Chairman of CAN in Kaduna state and Country Director, GPFN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, in his keynote address titled “Peaceful Election in Kaduna State with Gubernatorial Candidates from Religious and Political Perspectives” said, media were key in having peaceful elections in any state.
“To conduct credible, free, and fair elections that would usher in the kind of leaders that the Nigerian public desires, the role of the media is substantial.
“That leads me to appeal to journalists at this crucial moment, especially in Kaduna state, a state that has experienced devastation in the aftermath of elections in the past, to report in a manner that douses any rising tension than to add to the flames of an already volatile situation with sensational reporting. As it stands, Saturday 11th March, 2023 is the day slated for the next election and the governorship vote is considered closer to the people and may attract more attention than the presidential election held on 25th February 2023.
“Given the sensitivity of Kaduna state and the resulting experiences of religious tensions in the past, GPFN is calling on Kaduna state people to make use of this election to unite and respect each other’s rights and freedom of choice. We can still go back to the peaceful era. Nobody is coming to Kaduna as a religious governor. What brings tension among people is injustice and not being carried along. A peaceful and united Kaduna is what everybody craves,” Hayab said.
Also speaking, JNI Secretary, Kaduna state chapter, Alhaji Ibrahim Kufena, urged journalists not to create unnecessary political tension in the state because God already knows who will win no matter the circumstances that may play up.
“Already, God has decided who will be the governor of Kaduna state. So, why should we fight over an election that God has already concluded even before we go to the polls?
“Journalists should not create tension in the state. I hope whoever emerges the next governor on Saturday would be left for God to judge, if he fails to do justice to all of us. We are hoping we will have peaceful elections. We hope this and other engagements that have been coming up will help us to have a peaceful election in the state,” he added.
