- Warns supporters, candidates against insulting, derogatory utterances
By Anthony Nwachukwu
The Labour Party (LP) has described as derogatory, offensive and unethical the comments on its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other candidates by the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima, over the weekend.
In a statement by the Director-General of the Labour Party Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe, the party expressed dissatisfaction with Shettima’s conduct and called on the APC to caution its vice presidential candidate.
According to Okupe, Shettima, with his many derogatory remarks, flouted the terms of the peace accord signed by all political parties under the supervision of the National Peace Committee headed by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“We have watched with dismay and disgust the various unguarded insults and disparaging remarks passed on our presidential candidate and other candidates by the vice-presidential candidate of the APC, Mr. Kashim Shettima,” the statement partly read.
“Our political parties are all signatories to the National Peace Accord supervised by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar’s National Peace Committee, which represents the bonafide code of conduct for all corporate and individual direct participants in the current electoral process.”
Urging LP candidates and supporters to desist from insulting other parties and their candidates, it recalled that “in the peace accord signed in Abuja, it was expressly stated that candidates should avoid the use of abusive and offensive language throughout the campaigns.
“It is very unfortunate and regretful but not exactly surprising that in flagrant disregard for the clauses and principles of this accord, the APC vice-presidential candidate in particular has continued repeatedly to play the court jester by persistently, irresponsibly and recklessly making all sorts of derogatory comments totally at variance with good manners and decorum.
“We are in no doubt whatsoever that while he has consistently abused the opportunity of public audience by making these snide remarks about His Excellency, Peter Obi, and other candidates, he cannot in the least and in any way ever measure up to these his political superiors in integrity, character and status, not to mention vision, policies and national acceptance.”
Shettima was cited to have made the following statements in a TV programme: “Osinbajo is a good and nice man but nice men do not make good leaders, nice men should be selling ice cream.”
“The training that the elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene is that of a wole wole. And believe me, the ability to sell bottled water does not make one an expert on the economy.
“Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln, he is more of a Raila Odinga.”
“Peter ‘Gringori’ Obi is my friend but Gringori has absolutely nothing to offer apart from dub.”
