Oyegun urges APC, PDP to maintain peace, says any candidate that loses should accept defeat

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun has decried the tension in the nation’s political landscape and urged the two main political parties to maintain peace in the interest of the country.

He advised that any of the candidates who losses in the forthcoming election should be man enough to accept defeat and know that there is tomorrow.

Speaking at the presentation of the Manual tagged ‘’Responsible Citizenship according to Catholic Social Teachings’’ yesterday in Abuja,
Oyegun urged Nigerians not to sell their votes and to vote for only those that best represent their interest who also have the nation’s interest at heart.

He said, ‘’Don’t sell your votes, shine your eyes and make sure you vote only for those that best represent your interest, vote for those who have the interest of the nation at heart.

“There is s too much pressure on the system, we need to keep the temperature down, the polity has taken much than it can chew in terms of stress, and the election itself has taken enough stress and the process leading to the election has been so stressed, politicians should avoid adding more load to it. Let the two main political parties maintain peace. Any of the candidates who losses in the forthcoming election should be man enough to accept defeat and know that there is tomorrow.’’

Also speaking, Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna and the chairman of Caritas Nigeria, Most Rev (Dr.) Matthew Man’Oso Ndagoso urged Nigerians to be fully involved in the political process and vote according to their conscience.

The cleric said: “In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; and participation in political life is a moral obligation. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria has published a manual for responsible citizenship according to catholic social teaching. A fundamental test of the morality of public policy is whether it supports or threatens human life and the common good.”

Presenting the manual, the President, Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria, Rev Dr. Raymond Olusesan Aina urged Nigerians not to vote for people that promote sectionalism, ethnicity and religion but to vote for candidates that have basic values to promote.

He observed that part of the code that would guide them during the elections as responsible citizens is to register, select, vote and protect your votes

The cleric noted that as far back as 1979, Catholic Church kicked against vote buying adding that ‘’See and buy is morally offensive to God and man.’’