Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor and current senator for Nigeria’s Enugu East has called on his fellow political candidates to concentrate less on personal attacks and more on subjects that will sweeten the lives of average Nigerians.

Senator Nnamani expressed that individuals who participate in calumny campaigns lack ideas. “Anyone vying for public office must have his or her manifesto or program of action,” he stated. In a New Year’s greeting of goodwill to his fellow Nigerians, he urged them to vote for people who had accomplished things in the past rather than “those who exploit our fault lines of ethnicity or religion to gain advantage.” By declaring, “we need public officers who can truly identify with the people because the outcome of 2023 polls will define the future of Nigeria,” he urged Nigerians to vote for trustworthy candidates. “We should do away with mundane issues of ethnic or religious sentiments but vote for candidates based on capacity and competence to deliver”.

He hoped that elections held in Nigeria would be free, fair, and credible to reflect the people’s intentions and aspirations accurately. Senator Nnamani expressed concern over the worsening security situation in several areas of the country, particularly the South East region, and urged the security forces and local people to work together to combat the threat. He believed law enforcement could not handle security independently and called for citizen involvement to root out “these criminals that live among the people in the communities.”

A peaceful climate, he hoped, would allow for genuine elections to be held in 2023.