By Correspondent in Minna
As candidates jostle for elective positions in the count down to the Niger State Council 8f the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) thickens to on Thursday, aspirants have been told to adhere strictly to the rules of the game by focusing campaigns on issues to avoid causing breach of peace and in order not to bring the name of their profession into disrepute.
The Chairman of the electoral committee, Niger Delegates 2021, Mr. Dan Amasingha, who gave the advice in an interview with our Correspondent in Minna,said no reason why journalists who were always criticising politicians for causing breach of peace during campaign tours should be liable for same offence.
“The NUJ should set standards by avoiding some pitfalls common with politicians during electioneering campaigns by ensuring that their campaign are issue based not of calumny or destroying one another name for personal political interest,”he said.
Amasingha assured that the electoral committee had put in place measures to ensure that the 27th May, 2021 to ensure peaceful election.
“As one big family, I am advising all the contestants to go about their campaigns devoid of any form of bitterness as brothers and sisters because weather we like it or not, we will still be one NUJ in Niger state”.
“As we always criticized politicians, this elections should not be a do or die affairs. I want to encourage all the aspirants to in the spirit of sportsmanship whereby winners and losers must emerge, conduct themselves in peaceful manner as they go about their campaigns.
“Campaigns should be centred on convencingly telling eligible voters what you want to do for them diffirently from what is on ground. Campaign of calumny or acts capable of breaching peace must be avoided at all cost.”
Our Correspondent reports that those vying for chairmanship positions are; the incumbent Council Secretary, Abu Nmodu of Correspondent Chapel and the former Council chairman, Mohammed Mohammed of Newsline Chapel challenging the incumbent Council chairman, Abdul Idris of Radio Niger, Chapel who is seeking for second term.
