A Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel, of Akwa Ibom state on media, Rev Richard Peters, has cautioned politicians and their supporters against the campaign of slander and violence.

The governor’s aide said this on Friday while interacting with newsmen in Uyo, the state capital.

He said, “As the campaigns for the 2023 elections are going to kick off in less than 10 days, I urge the politicians to play by the rules and avoid campaigns of bitterness and calumny, especially against the government of the day.

“It is obvious that the governor has created a platform where political participation thrived with fairness, equity and peace. Before this administration, there was political turbulence, you dare not challenge the power of the day, it was either you were kidnapped or your family member kidnapped, sometimes killed.

“Looking at Akwa Ibom now, such a thing does not exist rather you see a governorship aspirant block the road without the government being perturbed about it. The Aspirants move freely to radio stations to attack the government which they benefited from, and the governor will ignore all those things because of his peaceful nature.”

Pastor Peters also noted that the governor has never interfered in any institutional processes of a group in choosing its’ leadership unlike what was obtainable in the past.

“Unlike what we had in the past, in court, there were lots of litigations where a government official attempted to impose who becomes the village head of a village. Governor Emmanuel’s stance has shown that a leader can rise to popularity even by peaceful disposition and allowing things to thrive freely,” he said.