With few weeks to the general elections politicians in the country have been accused of undermining the fight against corruption in the country with their utterances.
The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) said in a statement signed by the Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi and made available to our correspondent recently.
Zikirullahi said the group has been monitoring the 2019 campaign messages being put out by political parties particularly their utterances as they relate to preventing the effects of corruption in governance.
He pointed out that the utterances are indication that many of the chieftains are less concern about fight against corruption and its effects on the welfare of the Nigerian people.
The chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomole had at a campaign rally in Edo state said that once opposition members join APC their sins are forgiven. While the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main contender to President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar while meeting with business communities in Lagos said would enrich his friends if elected into office.
Zikirullahi noted with worry that the utterances of the ruling and the opposition parties signify that they would be soft on corruption stressing that “both in the ruling and opposition parties have been making utterances signifying they would be soft on, or would embrace corruption.
“Instead of telling the electorate how they would put in place strategies to sustain the modest progress recorded in the anti-corruption campaign so far, what the electorate has been hearing are shocking.
He noted that the statement of Adams Oshiomole is capable of undermining the credibility of anti-corruption efforts.
He also described as “blatant, celebration of the cronyism and corruption of the objective of governance which have held Nigeria back,” the statement credited to the PDP’s Presidential Candidate.
While calling on citizens to be on their guard, CHRICED reminded Nigerians that they have a duty to hold politicians to account by taking them to task on retrogressive statements.
The group observed that “In climes where campaigns are driven by citizens’ interest, rather than the whims of the politicians, these statements reportedly made by the politicians would have brought them under intense scrutiny and made them to be rejected at the polls.”
