Ahead of next month’s presidential election, pop star Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face, has called on political parties and their standard bearers to eschew violence and embrace peace.
This comes as the African Queen crooner paid separate visits to the candidates of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili, Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Fela Durotoye; and Young Progressive Party (YPP), Prof Kingsley Moghalu in Abuja.
The Benue State-born artiste, in collaboration with Youngstar Foundation, urged the candidates to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship and call their supporters to order, maintaining that even most supporters who perpetuate violence do not know or have access to their preferred candidates.
He promised to visit President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“What we are doing is a voter-education campaign on peace which we have tagged ‘Vote not fight: Election no be war.’ We don’t want violence,” he said.
On her part, Ezekwesili, noted that there was no need for the country to slide into anarchy because of elections, adding that Nigerians are so impoverished that any attempt at violence would disrupt the fragile peace in the country.
“If there is any candidate that would stand toe-to-toe in making this strong demand for violence-free elections that person should be me.
“I absolutely believe in peaceful conduct of the election. We believe that the level of impoverishment of our citizens is so deep that the last thing you want to do is violence,” the ACPN candidate said.
Moghalu and Durotoye similarly pledged their commitment to a peaceful election outcome.