The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to sanction politicians who engage in personal attacks rather than issue-based campaigns, criticising remarks attributed to the African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, about President Bola Tinubu and his supporters.
Wike also warned that it could be difficult for Amaechi to campaign in Rivers State if he continued making such comments, insisting that political campaigns should focus on candidates’ programmes and policies rather than insults.
The minister spoke in Abuja on Friday, after a closed-door meeting with chairmen of the six area councils and security operatives, where he also directed the Department of Development Control and security agencies to dismantle unauthorised beer parlours and other illegal commercial operations in parts of the FCT.
Amaechi made the remark at a town hall meeting in Edo State on Thursday, where he urged residents to reject Tinubu and back the opposition party in the forthcoming poll.
“They are going about saying ‘Vote Tinubu! Vote Tinubu!’ Only thieves can vote for Tinubu. In fact, I read a comment on social media where someone said, ‘It’s in 2027 that we will know how many mad men we have in Nigeria,” the former minister of Transportation had said.
Reacting to Amaechi’s reported comments that people who voted for Tinubu were “thieves” or “mad”, Wike expressed disappointment that the electoral umpire had yet to publicly address the remarks.
“Many Nigerians have called INEC to sanction political parties, and candidates, or some politicians who, in their campaigns, incite the public or raise matters that are not issue-based. We have been told to go on campaigns based on issues.
