A legal luminary, Malam Yusuf Ali (SAN), has urged the political class not to turn the 2023 general election in the country into a do or die affair.

Ali who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State reminded the politicians that politicking remains the sine qua non for good governance and not subtle or mass deaths.

Lamenting that innocent Nigerians were being killed for political reasons, the legal icon advised politicians to exercise caution about the way and manner they ply their trade.

He also decried the incessant shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians by bandits and kidnappers, and called for an end to politically motivated killings, banditry, and kidnapping which he noted were responsible for mass murder being experienced in the country.

He reminded the masterminds of killings that it has been scripturally revealed that it would be wishful thinking for supplication to be answered in the sight of Almighty God in any nation where spilling of innocent blood has gained currency.

"The holy Prophet was reported to have said that in any society or nation where the shedding of the blood of innocent people is the order of the day, it is only wishful thinking for supplication to be accepted by Almighty Allah.

"And we have seen those signs in the challenges bedeviling us as a nation. For instance, bloodshed in terms of kidnapping and banditry among others is on the rise.

"My only appeal is that the political class should not encourage the shedding of blood through politicking. The frequency of shedding of blood is appalling.

"We should therefore avoid do or die politicking in the forthcoming general elections. We need to pause, look at the huge number of innocent people murdered in cold blood in this country, and exercise caution.

"Politicking should be a sine qua non for good governance and not mass murder as we have been experiencing. That is my appeal to the political class," Ali said.