Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has called for discipline among political actors, as parties prepare for campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Kukah made the call at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s 2022 peace conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

The bishop, a panelist at the conference, said electoral violence in Nigeria was attributable to lack of discipline among political actors.

“Ordinary Nigerians have no problem with religion; it is the manipulation and systemic manipulation of our different identities that are responsible for our violence,’’ he stressed.

He charged religious leaders to do their best to sensitise the public on the need for peace, but insisted that political actors must play their roles.

Another panelist, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, said elected officials should regard themselves as being privileged or opportune to participate and contribute to nation-building.

He said Nigeria needs a president who will be a leader for Nigerians across the board and not a sectional leader.

In his contribution, the Regional Director for Africa at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Christopher Fomunyoh, said Nigeria could not afford to erode its past election gains in 2023.

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The NDI is a non-profit American NGO that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions.

“Elections have consequences; peaceful elections have a lot of benefits,’’ Fomunyoh, also a panelist, said.

He stressed that other African countries were looking up to Nigeria as the giant on the continent to conduct peaceful elections.
“No country stumbles into credible, meaningful elections by chance; there has to be a national consensus that the citizens want meaningful elections.

“Once that national consensus is there, it is going to raise the bar for stakeholders to comply with that national consensus.

“The political leaders should make sure in their conversations with their supporters that they talk about non-violent elections,’’ he stressed.

Executive Director at Centre for Democracy and Development, Dr Idayat Hassan, in her contribution, urged all stakeholders to take responsibility toward a successful conduct of the 2023 general elections.