A group of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of West African Civil Society Forum (WASCOF) has urged politicians to refrain from the use of inflammatory statements ahead of the February general elections.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Miss Uche Madueke, the Media Relations Officer of the forum.
She said the value of the recent Abuja Peace Accord signed by presidential candidates was not only in the signing, “but in keeping to the letters and words of the document’’.
She expressed concern over series of inflammatory statements by political parties and urged them to be civil and courteous during campaigns.
Madueke said that hate speeches from the political class were dangerous and capable of mobilizing the citizenry to take unconstitutional actions.
“We condemn the statements as reckless and unwelcome in the context of our commitment to furthering and deepening the rule of law.
“We call on all politicians and indeed all citizens to remain law-abiding and have faith in the rule of law and due process.
“All politicians should address their grievances and misgivings through legally established channels.
“In the same vein, we call on all government institutions and agencies to discharge their responsibilities in strict conformity with the laws establishing them.
“We also call on them to refrain from acts, either of omission or commission, which portray them as partisan”, she said.