L-R: The Secretary, Timi Tonyi, and some members of the committee during the media briefing on Monday.
The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council Media Committee in Delta State has warned against electoral violence and pledged to focus on governance and performance rather than personal attacks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The committee’s chairman, Charles Aniagwu, stated this on Monday during a media briefing in Asaba, the state capital, where he said the party would present its record and explain its policies to voters.
“Electoral violence and threats to kill people are not part of our campaign strategy,” Aniagwu said, in response to a question about a reported warning by former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege over alleged election rigging.
He added, “We are not going to engage in electoral malpractice, and we believe the people of Delta State should judge us based on our performance and the evidence we present.”
The PUNCH had reported that Omo-Agege, the Nigeria Democratic Congress senatorial candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District, warned prospective election riggers to avoid such nefarious actions as the elections approach.
Omo-Agege, while flagging off his campaign in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State on Friday, declared pointedly that whoever rigs the election will die.
”It’s rig and die. Anybody who tries to rig the 2027 election will face the consequences. We will not allow anyone to steal our votes,” he said.
However, Aniagwu urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements and advised anyone suspecting electoral malpractice to report it to security agencies rather than take the law into their own hands.
“Delta State is not a jungle republic. We must not encourage jungle justice or violence, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.
The chairman also said the APC would avoid personal attacks and concentrate on the achievements of the state and federal governments.
“We will not make name-calling or personal attacks the centre of our campaign. We intend to focus on the issues, present our record and explain what we believe our administration has achieved,” he said.
On the economic hardship facing Nigerians, Aniagwu acknowledged the difficulties confronting households and businesses but argued that some government policies needed more time to deliver their expected benefits.
“We will not ignore the economic challenges Nigerians are experiencing. We recognise the realities confronting households and businesses, but we will also explain the measures taken by the federal and state governments to address them,” he said.
He said the committee would highlight developments in roads, healthcare, education, housing and security, while explaining how federal policies had created opportunities for state governments to implement projects.
Aniagwu also called for accountability in the conduct of political campaigns, saying no one should be shielded from the consequences of unlawful conduct because of political connections.