Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has cautioned Nigerians against resorting to threats, abuse, or intimidation in political discussions, drawing lessons from the recent murder of Charlie Kirk in the United States.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), on Saturday and sighted by AFRIPOST, Keyamo stressed that political exchanges in Nigeria, if unchecked, could escalate into violent acts.
“The things we say and post in our intellectual contestations over political issues in our country can unwittingly rile others up to take extreme actions. Let us therefore eschew threats of violence, bigotry and hate speeches in these exchanges because anyone can end up as the victim,” he warned.
He described the humiliation or abuse of individuals with differing political opinions as “extreme cowardice” and a sign of losing the intellectual battle.
“It is extreme cowardice to threaten, abuse or humiliate others who do not agree with your political views or do not worship your political demi gods. A resort to abuse or threats or even personal attacks is a sign that you have lost the intellectual contestation.
”You cannot force others in a free democracy to accept your point of view through threats of violence or intimidation,” Keyamo stated.
The minister emphasized that the warning applied to all participants in Nigeria’s political landscape, including government officials, ruling party members, opposition politicians, and civil society actors.
“This is not just a subtle message to one side of the political divide alone. It is a direct message to all of us in Government, in the ruling party, in opposition parties, in civil society and generally everyone in the political space,” he added.