Social media influencers in Nasarawa state have advised youths in the state against offering themselves to be used as thugs by desperate politicians.
Chairman of the group Aliyu Ibrahim Orah, gave the advice Thursday during its redwalk awareness campaign in Lafia, the state capital.
He said political thuggery is an aspect of social violence which is devastating in the country democracy.
He urged youths resists the temptation to be used as tools for destruction by politicians that would dump them thereafter.
“The menace has become detrimental to democratic sustainability in Nigeria politics, in which thugs move mostly in a groups victimizing, terrorizing, intimidating and injuring innocent. Individual and politicians.
“Some of our elite are responsible for recruiting and training of the thugs to serve their selfish interest of maintaining and controlling political powers,” he said.
He reminded the youths that election is not war, pointing out that life would continue long after the elections were gone.
He explained that thuggery create fear among candidates which hindered electorate political participation.
“As media influencers we have the capacity to influence the thugs by telling them the dangers and negative effects of thuggery on good governance, accountability and sustainable democratic culture,” he noted.
Orah advised them to eschew religious, ethnic, or political violence in the 2023 general election.
He urged them to take advantage of the Not-Too-Young-To Run Bill and seek elective positions rather than being used as thugs.
