Leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, has demanded issue based campaigns from politicians preparatory to the 2023 General Elections.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Guild of Editors Conference on Wednesday in Owerri, the Imo state Capital, the President of the Guild, Mustapha Iss, advised that any politician who engages in divisive rhetoric should be shut out by Editors across the country.
Isa said, there are so many challenges facing the ordinary people which need the attention of the Editors.
“Shun politicians who want to use religion, ethnicity or tribalism to divide us.
“Those who divide the people in order to rise to power always find out later that it is difficult to govern a divided country.
“Some Editors here participated in NGE/US Embassy training programme which equipped us with tools to hold government officials accountable in line with our constitutional mandate,” he said.
He said, the Editors were now better placed to interrogate the Candidates seeking votes of the people adding that such interrogation should include critical questions.
Isa noted that it was not enough for the politicians to promise to create two millions jobs in a year. They must tell the people how they intend to achieve it.
The NGE President assured the Editors that the Guild will always stand for media freedom.
“We are aware that most of our politicians are despirate and can do anything to circumvent the system just to win,” he said.
