‎Stakeholders, Elder Statesmen, Residents Urge Political Parties To Shun Abusive Campaigns, Embrace Issue Based Politics In Oyo

‎Stakeholders, Elder Statesmen, Residents Urge Political Parties To Shun Abusive Campaigns, Embrace Issue Based Politics In Oyo
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‎With political activities gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, stakeholders, elder statesmen and residents in Oyo State have urged political parties and their supporters to shun abusive campaign rhetoric and focus on issues, policies and programmes that directly affect the people.
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‎The call followed recent exchanges between supporters of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, associated with Oyo State Governor, engineer Seyi Makinde, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, whose governorship candidate is Senator Sharafadeen Alli, as political actors intensify their mobilisation and positioning ahead of the elections.
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‎The recent exchanges between the parties included criticisms over the state’s streetlight project, the renovation of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex and other governance issues, while the two sides continue to advance their positions with heavy dictions as political activities intensify ahead of the election.
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‎Reacting to the development, elder statesmen, public affairs analysts, political commentators and residents of Oyo State called on the various political camps to tone down their rhetoric and make the 2027 campaigns about issues affecting the people.
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‎They stressed that political disagreements should not degenerate into abusive exchanges and personal attacks, urging political parties to present clear policies, programmes and manifestos that would enable the electorate to assess their respective positions ahead of the elections.
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‎Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Oyo State, Professor Adeniran Tella, expressed concern over what he described as the rise in abusive, unguarded and inflammatory language during political campaigns.
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‎Tella said INEC has the statutory responsibility to monitor campaigns and enforce compliance with electoral laws, warning that the commission would not hesitate to apply sanctions within the ambit of the law.
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