Ahead of the 2023 general election, Professor Emeritus Charles Okigbo has advised campaign managers of political parties to show a new level of maturity, stressing that “it cannot be business as usual”.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Prof Okigbo gave the advice in a statement on Saturday while decrying that campaigns during Nigeria’s elections have left much to be desired.
Okigbo, who is currently enthusiastically leading a team of political communication researchers in Nigeria and the diaspora to continue their Mixed Methods Research on Nigerian election communications, disclosed that “horse race” campaigning tactics of using inuendos and unverified gossips” had been uncovered in the campaign trends of Nigerian presidential elections.
He stated: “Our research team on Nigerian political communications has uncovered many important trends in Nigerian presidential elections, especially the most recent two campaigns in 2015 and 2019, where we found clear emphases of certain themes and topics, as well as considerable “horse race” campaigning tactics of using inuendos and unverified gossips.
“2023 campaign managers should show a new level of maturity evident in the quality of messaging and respect for the individual candidates who are engaged in the contest. It cannot be business as usual”.
TNG reports Prof Okigbo had earlier corrected the news story about his appointment as the campaign spokesman for ObiDatti 2023.
Prof Pat Utomi in a press conference introduced Mr Charles Odibo as the campaign communication lead for ObiDatti 2023. However, some people thought they heard Prof Charles Okigbo.
And since it is a strategic communication position, Prof Okigbo’s area of expertise, they ran with their mistaken notion and Google Search added to their mistake.
Professor Okigbo wished Mr Odibo well and hoped that the #Obi/Datti2023 campaign will live up to the public’s expectations and set a new tone for presidential election campaigns in Nigeria.