Gov Emmanuel cautions Nigerians on hate speech ahead of 2023 elections

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Saturday urged Nigerians to vote for leaders with interests of the country at heart in 2023.

Emmanuel, who made the call during the 2022 Wreath Laying and Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration held in Uyo, warned Nigerians, particularly politicians against making utterances capable of heating up the polity.

He said: “As we get ready to elect our next set of leaders, let us be reminded that national interest should and must triumph over our personal or group interest and those things that may heat up the polity and strain the cords of our unity must be avoided.

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“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to our people to eschew tendencies that helped provide the ferment for conflicts.

“The brave warriors we are honouring today, believed in something, an ideal or causes higher than their personal or collective interest, and that’s why they elected through volunteerism, not by conscription to sign up to fight for the preservation of our territorial integrity against foreign or domestic enemies.

“We are a nation rich in diversity, and our diversity should represent our strength and not platforms to enlarge our fault lines or differences. God has given Nigeria all that is needed for success. We must learn to jaw-jaw instead of war-war.”

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