The United Nations has advised Nigerians to avoid hate speeches during and after the 2023 elections to guard against electoral violence and related crimes.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Nderitu,
Said this in Abuja while addressing journalists ahead of the 2023 elections.
She said the country’s electoral process had since 1999 proven a commitment to democratic values.
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The UN official, therefore, urged Nigerians to shun hate speeches before and after the elections, as anything contrary to that could result in violence and related crimes.
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu who is on an official visit to Nigeria this week ahead of the elections, stated that “Countering and addressing hate speech is crucial, recalling that in the Holocaust, and the genocides in Rwanda against the Tutsi and in Srebrenica, Bosnia Herzegovina, hate speech and the dehumanization of ‘the other’ was present during, after and long before violence broke out, such crimes were committed.
She added that the UN focus is on the prevention of genocide and related crimes, detecting risk factors with the objective of mitigating and de-escalating them.
She called on the media to play their invaluable role during electoral processes in educating, informing, raising awareness, and alerting situations at risk and countering narratives of
hatred and segregation with verified facts.
The Envoy also said she had met with government authorities, political leaders, representatives of civil society, traditional and religious leaders, and members of the international community for a better understanding of developments and views in the country.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
