Nigeria Will Emerge Stronger From 2023 Polls — Gowon

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, retd, has called on the electorate not to panic over the usual election fever, in view of 2023 elections, but go out to vote only credible candidates that will lead the nation to peace and restoration.

Gowon made the call at the weekend during the launch of the book, Blueprint for National Retrieval, written by Elder Ejodame Emmanuel in Abuja.

The former Head of State, who was represented by Philip Salau, said Nigerians must stop lamentation about prophesy of doom as the general elections drew nearer but prepare to vote right for only credible candidates who had what it took to take the country to the desired destination, insisting that the country would come out stronger after the elections.

He said: ‘‘My message to Nigerians is to choose the candidate that you know will help us achieve this destination, a peaceful and prosperous nation.

‘’I have seen it all, he has no fear, there is always the normal periodic election fever. It is the normal thing. It will ease out. Nigeria will be stable, I can assure you.

”I am not fearful, but confident the election will hold. All that is happening now are general election fever, we have seen it before but then nothing.

In his remarks, the guest speaker, Prof. Pat Utomi, said the tragedy of Nigeria was that it went into a crisis of value which resulted in collapse of culture.

Utomi, who lamented the current state of affairs in the nation, blamed it on the drivers of the state and expressed confidence that the 2023 general elections could turn things around.

‘‘It is a very sad statement about how little progress has taken place in our country, because in some ways, we have gone backwards since then. Things are much worse today than they use to be, sadly.