Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the Accord Party's (AP) candidate for governor in Rivers State, has counselled lawmakers from other political parties to avoid actions or words that can incite conflict or animosity among the state's residents.
The gubernatorial candidate stated that the Accord Party in the state has continued to preach and employ the use of good languages in its dialogue as the campaigns for the presidency and National Assembly get closer.
Lulu-Briggs responded to the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) recent order to political parties and candidates prohibiting the use of insulting, indecent, and defamatory innuendos in political campaigns by saying that political parties should adopt issue-based campaigns rather than resort to hate speech.
The AP gubernatorial candidate, who spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, River State, stressed that the current temperament in the political space was destroying the camaraderie that once existed in politics, noting that political parties should shun campaigns of calumny and hate in line with Section 92 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The business mogul said: “I have always spoken about the level of hate in our politics. The camaraderie we use to enjoy in our politics is all gone, especially here in Rivers State, that two brothers from the same family cannot sit together in a meeting if they are in different political parties.
“We are quite happy that INEC has listened to what we have been saying that we do not need to continue with that exercise; we need to practice politics without bitterness which is what we have been preaching in the Accord Party.”
On his recent endorsement by an Arewa group in Rivers State and the South-south chiefs and opinion leaders, Dumo said his disposition, potential and antecedents have distinguished him from the other candidates.
He said: “We need someone who is prepared. I am not about those persons who do not have a record that they can judge them, I have a tremendous record of which I can be judged, and based on that, they took their decision.
“The endorsement shows that there is a lot of expectation, because to whom much is given, much is expected.”