Forum cautions religious leaders against hate speech
The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) has cautioned religious and traditional leaders against acts capable of causing crisis ahead of the General Elections in the country. This is contained in a communiqué of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace General Assembly meeting theme, “2019 Elections and National Security: The Role of Interfaith Communities” held […]
Interfaith Dialogue for Peace (IDFP )
The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) has cautioned religious and traditional leaders against acts capable of causing crisis ahead of the General Elections in the country.
This is contained in a communiqué of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace General Assembly meeting theme, “2019 Elections and National Security: The Role of Interfaith Communities” held in Abuja.
The IDFP which was formally inaugurated in January 2017 in Abuja with 100 Christian and Islamic leaders evenly divided, has the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as patrons.
“As we approach the 2019 General Elections, the government should engage in massive sensitization calling on all to embrace peace and eschew violence before, during and after the elections.”
The communiqué also urged that “the political, religious and traditional leaders and all relevant stakeholders should be careful in their choice of words to avoid heating up the polity.
“INEC should display their independence and be impartial in the conduct of the 2019 General Elections. Government should beef up security especially in areas ravaged by conflict and ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised owing to prevailing security challenges.”
The communiqué was jointly signed by the co-chairmen, Bishop Sunday Onuoha and Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni.
They also urged the security agencies to be unbiased and remain neutral while discharging their duties during the forthcoming elections.
“The media should be inclusive and practice peace journalism in their reporting of all national issues and especially on the forthcoming general elections,” it added.