As 2023 general election gathers tempo, Media organisations led by the Cradle TV an affiliate station to Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Akwa Ibom state and other media outlets have proposed an Interparty soccer competition.
The competition is tagged: “Inter Political Party Peace Football Competition (IPPPFC).”
In a consultative visit to the acting state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon. Lawrence Udosen on Thursday in Uyo, the Cheif executive officer of the Cradle TV, Mr. Emmanuel Ufon, said the tournament became necessary to promote peace and mutual understanding among the eighteen political parties.
Ufon noted that by staging the tournament which he described as a unifying factor in the world today, politics of war, thuggery, bitterness, strife, rancor and unnecessary tension in the state would be substituted.
“Akwa Ibom state and Nigeria is our only home, we want to have peace here, we don’t want to see politicians engaging hoodlums to destroy properties and Billboards of fellow politicians, what we want is issue base campaign, we want good governance to come 2023”, he said.
Responding, Udosen appreciated the media organisations for their plan to sustain peace in the society through football.
He, additionally called on the organisation to come up with a proposal on the Intra Political Football Competition between the Peoples Democratic Party across the 31 Local Government Area as the Inter-Party Football Competition may bring conflicts.
The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in Akwa Ibom state has nodded the concept of staging soccer competition among all political parties in the state.
IPAC said the tournament became necessary so as to promote peace and unity among all political actors while bringing to rest bitterness, strife and unnecessary tension as the state and the country at large are warming up to the elections come 2023.
Meanwhile, in a separate visit concerning the tournament, the state Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Rev. Aniebiet Emmanuel together with eight other state chairmen of the different political parties in the state said the competition was a move in the right direction to promote sportsmanship and brotherhood.
Emmanuel said the move was in the right direction to promote sportsmanship and brotherhood were people from different parties would expunge feelings of hatred against one another.
He described the proposed event as lofty idea and expressed happiness that such an inspiration was coming from nonpartisan groups.
“I am very much delighted to have some Akwa Ibom people who think in this particular direction, because to find people with this kind of spectacular idea is very difficult.
“We do not have anything to disagree the idea. We love the idea. I am very much sure be that with God this will provide a better Akwa Ibom. I am very happy and my colleagues here from different political parties are happy too,” he said.
On his part, a stakeholder of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Duke Dick lauded the idea of bringing all political parties under one canopy of football competition.
Dick, who noted that the issue of politics with bitterness would be played down, expressed optimism that love would prevail over different political parties, particularly in the state.
“To me, through this programme now a lot of lives would be saved. On the issue of politics with bitterness, if we start now on a yearly basis before 2023 such bitterness would be trampled upon.
“There should be unity and love among us. Let us take another dimension different from what we have been doing over the years. This is a very big opportunity for love to exist among all of us here in Akwa Ibom,” he said.
