We have watched with dismay and disgust, the various unguarded insults and disparaging remarks, passed on our Presidential Candidate and Other candidates, by the Vice Presidential Candidate of the APC, Mr Kassim Shettima .
Whereas, Our political parties, are all signatories to the National Peace Accord, supervised by General Abdulsalami Abubakar National Peace Committee chairman, which represents the bonafide Code of Conduct, for all corporate and individual direct participants, in the current electoral process.
In the Peace Accord signed in Abuja, it was expressly stated, that candidates will avoid the use of abusive and offensive language, throughout the campaigns.
It is therefore, very unfortunate and regretful , but not exactly surprising. that in flagrant disregard for the clauses and principles of this accord, the APC Vice Presidential Candidate, in particular, has continued, repeatedly, to play the court jester – by persistently, irresponsibly and recklessly, making all sorts of derogatory comments, totally at variance with good manners and decorum.
We are in no doubt whatsoever that while he has consistently abused the opportunity of public audience by making these snide remarks about His Excellency, Peter Obi and other candidates, he cannot, in the least and in any way, ever measure up to these his political superiors, in integrity, character and status, not to mention vision , policies and national acceptance.
We here emphasize, that strictly in line with the directives of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, to keep the campaign engagement and rhetoric civil and issue based, we have resisted his sustained diatribe and could not bring ourselves to his dirt level to respond to him in like manner.
However, it must be placed on record that this does not represent a lack of capacity to publicly take him on, especially as he personally carries a huge burden of a sordid and reprehensible past.
At this juncture, the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation will like to advise the APC, to rein in and restrain, its Vice Presidential candidate, from further uncouth and unguarded language , against our candidate, and all other candidates in this race.
It can be understood that he is still basking in the euphoria of having been nominated to the exalted position of the Vice Presidential candidate of a party, which ordinarily could never have occurred in an environment of strict adherence to best practices and high moral and character values where due attention is paid to pedigree, personal records and known antecedents.
For a fact, in other civilized climes, a Presidential election is a serious process of responsibility to the people and should not become a putreous arena for display of bad manners and verbal hooliganism.
We will like to remind Shettima that those who make their living in glass houses should not have stone throwing as their hobby. A word should be enough for the wise.
Dr Doyin Okupe
Director General
Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation
Abuja